Moral Panics - Research log 3

Source: 'Moral Panic Analysis: Past Present and Future' by Chas Critcher, published in 2008.

'In moral panics, they [Social movements] exhibit their worst behaviour: exaggerating the threat, polarising opinion and vilifying opponents.'

The Media's role in Moral Panics, a good paragraph:

'The media are particularly important in the early (‘inventory’) stage of social reaction, producing ‘processed or coded images’ of deviance and the deviants. Three processes are involved. First is exaggeration and distortion, of who did or said what; second is prediction, the dire consequences of failure to act; and the third symbolisation'

'Moral panics exhibit ‘an increased level of hostility’ towards the deviants, who are ‘collectively designated as the enemy, or an enemy, of respectable society’. Their behaviour is seen as ‘harmful or threatening’ to the values and interests of society, ‘or at least a sizeable segment’ of it (Goode and Ben-Yehuda 1994, 34, original emphasis). Constructing such folk devils is integral to moral panics.'

'Threats to children or from youth have become pervasive themes in moral panics.'

What are Moral Panics extreme examples of?
'the process of labelling and deviancy amplification' Cohen, 1973
'the struggle over hegemony' Hall et al, 1978
'collective behaviour pormpted by social movements.' Goode and Ben-Yehuda, 1994