Moral panics and deviancy amplifications (different approaches)

Wilkins (interactionist approach)

‘Deviancy Amplification Theory’ which seeks to understand the role of the media in strengthening and magnifying deviance in society. His deviancy amplification spiral simplified: Members of society engage in behaviours against norms and values and media reporting results in such behaviour strengthened. Public awareness is heightened, more engaged with deviant behaviour and moral panics are created.

Cohen (interactionist approach)

Media create moral panics around conflicting youth subcultures. ‘Folk Devils and Moral Panics’ talks about how the media created a moral panic of Mods and Rockers. They were labelled by the media, defined as a threat to society’s values, presented in a stereotypical fashion and made a target by the local authorities.

Fawbert (interactionist approach)

Examined newspaper reports about ‘hoodies’ in 2004-2008 and found only one article using the word to describe a young thug. A year later the Bluewater Shopping centre caused ‘hoodies’ to be commonly used to describe young people involved in crimes. Hoodies suddenly became a symbol of mischief.

Goode and Ben Yehuda (interactionist approach)

Argued there are 5 elements present in a moral panic:

1. Concern

2. Hostility

3. Consensus

4. Disproportionality

5. Volatility

Freudian (functionalist approach)

Argues moral panics arise when society fails to adapt to dramatic social changes and panics reflect the wider concerns that older generations hold about the nature of society. The older generation believe the media is responsible for loss of traditional norms and values and are vulnerable to moral panics.

Hall et al (Marxist/Neo Marxist approach)

Moral panics are a way of distracting people and mask real societal problems. Moral panics benefit capitalism and the ruling class defines what’s ‘deviance’ and who ‘folk devils’ are. The moral panic over ‘black muggers’ was examined and claimed as created by those in power to serve the interests of capitalism and defend them. It gave the ruling class a scapegoat to distract attention from the real crisis about economic crisis. 

Waiton (postmodern approach)

Moral panics are less likely to occur because societies no longer have a strong central moral code shared by most of the population meaning we have no morals to threaten. In a contemporary, norm breaking society, moral panics can’t occur.