The Sociologist Stanley Cohen Define The Concept Moral Panics

In his article “Moral Panic: Who Benefits from Public Fear?” Dr. Scott Bonn provides in-depth information that explains the reasons for the actions and behaviors of the general public during times of crises. This perspective is embodied in Uncle Matt, the main character in George Saunders’ short story, The Red Bow. Although not directly related, the writings are intricately woven into each other as if they are written by the same author, with one piece being examined and explained by the other. In the following paragraphs, we will visit each writing, and analyze them both in an interfacing manner. Ultimately, we will incorporate how they relate to real life events.

The “moral crisis” that I am supposed to explain is shortly known as skepticism. This skepticism has lead a lot of people believe that there is a doubt on the faith based solution that have been provided. (Unit II Lecture 3) In other words people now a days are trying to planet a little skepticism seed in people’s minds to doubt solutions that are provided through faith. This skepticism is trying to persuaded people to believe that faith based answer could not possibly be true because of how the world is these days.

Moral Panic Moral panic is a widely used and often misinterpreted concept in social sciences. The term was invented by the British sociologist Stanley Cohen the late sixties. Cohen defined moral panic as a form of collective behaviour during which: "A condition, episode, person or group emerges to become defined as a threat to societal values and interests; its 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 accredited experts pronounce their diagnosis and solutions; ways of coping are evolved or (more often) resorted to; the condition then disappears,

In human societies there will always be issues or problems that occur which cause some form of reaction from those who feel that their values or societal equilibrium is being threatened. Stanley Cohen and Jock Young led the way in explaining the notion of moral panics and how they are formed and their consequences on society. There have been numerous of these moral phenomena over the years, which have gripped society in a vice lock of terror and more often than not, ignorance. This essay will discuss the concept of the moral panic and look at the case of HIV/AIDS which caused a huge conflict of morality within society. This essay will also analyse the failings of health organisations, politicians, and the

“we were dealing with strange ideas...[a] moral breakdown that has been going on for two decades. One by one all of our traditional moral standards went by the boards, or were so disregarded that they ceased to be binding…We found our great cities and the control of much of our industry and commerce taken over by strangers, who stacked the cards of success and prosperity against us” (Document 1).

A moral panic is the public’s response to problems that seem threatening to the society. Moral panics are used by the media, however people are likely to panic out of proportion due the way it is upheld.

Brym, R.J., & Lie, J., & Rytina, S. (2010) Deviance and Crime. Sociology: Your Compass for a New World. 3rd Canadian Edition. Toronto: Oxford University Press. Toronto: Nelson

As mentioned earlier Stanley Cohen (1972) is one of prominent sociologists that devised the term ‘moral panic’. He defined the concept as ‘A sporadic episode which, as it occurs, subject’s society to bouts of moral panic, or in other terms, worries about the values and principles which society upholds which may be in jeopardy’ (Cohen, 1987; 9). The term ‘moral panic’ was introduced by Stanley Cohen (1972) in his book entitled ‘Folk Devils and Moral Panics’.

Challenge: Select and describe a “moral panic” against a perceived deviance. Analyse the role of the “moral entrepreneur” and “folk devil” in your selected case. Finally, explicate what it demonstrates about individuals and their socialization. (Length: 2 000 words)

In the article, “Moral Panics: Culture, Politics, and Social Construction” by Erich Goode and Nachman Ben-Yehuda, the authors explore the meanings behind moral panics, what contributing factors ignite the panics, who or what may be the cause of moral panics and so forth all while with providing interesting examples. They also propose five criterias that goes into defining moral panics which are; concern, hostility, consensus, dispositionality and volatility. Concern is regarding a measurable or manifested heightened level of

Moral panics do not occur spontaneously, they are a result of an intricate interplay of behaviours and responses (Muzzatti & Rothe, 2004: 329). The media and moral entrepreneurs often tend to stir up the general public in defining deviant behaviour (Becker, 1963: 147). Subsequently, President Bush can be labelled as a moral entrepreneur, owing to his actions and ideals after the 9/11 attack.

When considering the widespread panic Orson Welles created via his notorious radio broadcast on Halloween night in 1938 it must be taken into account that this was an unintended result. Intension being a major factor in determining rhetoric and what constitutes a rhetorical situation I would argue that this panic was kairotic meaning that the moment was ripe for the occasion due to the current and most prevalent public knowledge . Lloyd F. Bitzer argues that public knowledge consists of those ideals and beliefs that a public considers to be the pillar of their society, thus these are guiding truths “rooted in the past” serving as “principles of public life” (Rhetoric and Public Knowledge 87). Examining American public knowledge during this

A moral panic develops in a society when there is some type of threat looking to harm the society in some way. The threat of a nuclear attack by the USSR and its possible plan to control society through communism aided in the development of a moral panic during the Cold War era (Cold War History). American fears continued to grow as the relationship between the two countries became very tense (Hadley). During the Cold War era, the public

Michael Tonry in his book “Thinking About Crime” brings up the subject of moral panics (pg 86). A moral panic as defined by Stuart Hall is as follows

Moral panics take place when the media outlets take a fairly ordinary event and turn it extraordinary. Cohen states that in a moral panic the media identifies a particular group as a folk devil (1972). Essentially folk devils can be identified as a threat to society's values. This is see when the media presents the group in a negative stereotypical fashion and again exaggerate the scale of the problem. Moral panics have three distinguishing characteristics. In Bonn’s article, Who Benefits From Public Fear, he states that one characteristic of moral panic includes a focused attention, whether real or imagined, of certain individuals or groups that are transformed into what Cohen referred to as “folk devils” by the mass media (2015). Additionally there is a noticeable gap between the concern and object risk poses. Typically this threat is less than generally perceived because of how the media outlets represent the threat. The level of concern over time fluctuates greatly. The usual pattern begins with the introduction of the threat, followed by an increase rise and then peak in public concern, which then therefore, and regularly unexpectedly, dies down. _________________________