Saturday, 2 November 2013

Moral Panic

Moral Panic is a condition, episode, person or group of people that emerges as a threat to social values or interests. It's nature is presented in a stylised and stereotypical fashion, by the mass media. The moral barricades are manned by editors, bishops, politicians and other right thinking people; socially credited experts pronounce their diagnoses and solution; ways of coping are evolved or resorted to.`

Concern - Behaviour of a particular group represented as having a threat.
 
Volatility - Short lived. Panics erupt dramatically but are difficult to sustain. Negative consequences for the rest of us.
 
Hostility - 'Folk devils' constructed to create a clear division between 'them' and 'us'.
 
Consequences - Widespread acceptance of the threat posed by this group. Not necessarily reflecting national concern, but the campaigner will be very vocal whilst the opposition will be weak and disorganised.
 
Disproportionality - Wild exaggeration of evidence. Not only the number of people involved but also the scale of the problem.
 


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