moral panics

Flashcards covering the topic of moral panics, including definitions, examples, and impacts as presented in the lecture notes.

Moral Panic

A widespread fear, often irrational, that someone or something threatens the values, safety, and interests of a community or society.

Stanley Cohen’s 1972 study ‘Folk Devils and Moral Panics’

Illustrated how the media vastly exaggerated crime committed by youths in the 1960s, leading to youths being labeled as deviants and the public believing crime was spiraling out of control.

Use of Moral Panics

Those with power and status in society creating fear around a minority group, leading to the group being demonized for being deviant.

The Gorbals Vampire

An example of an early moral panic that spiralled out of control due to media influence, resulting in adults taking action against children.

MoMo Challenge Hoax

A viral image that supposedly encouraged children to commit suicide, which was widely reported by the media, causing panic among parents despite being untrue.

What a moral panic involves

Involves identifying a scapegoat group, labeling and stigmatizing them, stirring up negativity by the media or politicians, and society clamping down on the group, leading to public panic and fear.

Media's role in 'sensitising' or 'desensitising'

The media's role in influencing public perception and reporting of certain activities as crimes by focusing on specific criminal acts more dramatically.

Backfire effect

Alters how Americans perceive crime, with familiar stories being rated as true and unfamiliar ones as false, leading to inaccurate views due to repeated exposure to crime stories.

Moral Panic: USA (Trans People)

America is being consumed by a moral panic over trans people, influencing bathroom stories, sports athletes, and leading to state bans.

Moral Panic: France

France faces a moral panic around "islamo-gaucheisme," the concept that France is under threat from an Islamic takeover combined with left-wing politics.

Moral Panic: Australia

Australians overestimate crime levels due to the media's distorted view, over-representing violent crimes, children/elderly as victims, and teenagers/young men as perpetrators.