Cohen - Moral Panics

What does Cohen’s theory explore?

The dynamics of societal reactions to perceived deviant behaviour

How does Cohen describe Moral Panic?

Episodes where society becomes irrationally concerned about a particular group or issue often fuelled by media exaggeration

How does Cohen describe Deviancy Amplification?

The process whereby increased societal reactions, like media attention which attempt to control deviance lead to an escalation of deviant behaviour

What subculture does Cohen famously study?

Mods and Rockers - conflict between British youth subcultures

What happened to the Mods and Rockers when they experienced Media attention?

Public outrage over their clashes - ultimately leading to more confrontations

What does Cohen illustrate through his study of the Mods and Rockers?

How media and societal responses can magnify and exacerbate deviant behaviour through moral panic and deviancy amplification

How do McRobbie and Thornton’s study challenge Cohen’s theory of moral panics?

Media and public reactions to youth subcultures have become more diverse and fragmented

• moral panic may no longer have the same unifying and amplifying effect - cultural changes and increased media pluralism