MEDIA EFFECTS ON AUDIENCES - MORAL PANICS AND DEVIANCY AMPLIFICATION

Question 1

Interactionist Approaches

Wilkins

Answer 1

Labeling and portraying deviance in the media causes more in real life. Deviancy Amplification Theory- media reporting of deviant behaviour leads to this and creates moral panics. The idea that members of society who engage in behaviours that go against accepted norms and values and that an effect of the media reporting and representations of this deviance is that such behaviour is strengthened and magnified.

Question 2

Interactionist Approaches

Cohen

Answer 2

The media creates moral panics around conflicting youth subcultures. Study on ‘Folk devils and moral panics’ Where the press exaggerated the news because they needed stories, Cohen has called moral panics ‘a situation’ where an individual or group is:
Labelled by the media
Defined as a threat to society norms

Question 3

Interactionist Approaches

Fawbert

Answer 3

The media creates moral panics by labeling certain youths as criminals. Examined newspaper reports about hoodies. In 2004 the word hoodie was used to describe a young thug. Hoodies created a moral panic in the mid 2000s when hoodies were banned from being worn in bluewater shopping centres.

Question 4

Interactionist Approaches

Goode and Ben Yehuda

Answer 4

Disagreed with cohens view that moral panics go through a series of stages and instead argue that there are 5 elements present in moral panic. Them being concern, hostility, consensus, disproportionality and volatility.

Question 5

Define concern

Answer 5

There must be the belief that the behaviour of the group or activity deemed deviant is likely to have a negative effect on society.

Question 6

Define hostility

Answer 6

Hostility toward the group in question increases, and they become “folk devils”. A clear division forms between “them” and “us”.

Question 7

Define consensus

Answer 7

Though concern does not have to be nationwide, there must be widespread acceptance that the group in question poses a very real threat to society. It is important at this stage that the “moral entrepreneurs” are vocal and the “folk devils” appear weak and disorganised.

Question 8

define Disproportionality

Answer 8

The action taken is disproportionate to the actual threat posed by the accused group.

Question 9

define Volatility

Answer 9

Moral panics are highly volatile and tend to disappear as quickly as they appeared because public interest wanes or news reports change to another narrative.

Question 10

Functionalist Approach Disagree w interactionist

Ferudi

Answer 10

Disputes the interactionist view of moral panics and argues that moral panics arise when society fails to adapt to dramatic social changes. Loss of control with youth. Argues that moral panics reflect wider concerns that the older generation hold about the nature of society as they are more at risk from things that are out of control. The older generation believe the media is responsible for the loss of traditional norms and values.

Question 11

Marxist/Neo Marxist Approach

Hall et al

Answer 11

Suggests that moral panics benefit capitalism - they argue that the ruling class defines what is ‘deviance’ and therefore decide who the ‘folk devils’ are. In hall et als seminal work policing the crisis the 1970s panic over ‘black muggers’ - threat to society was examined. The main claim was that the moral panic was created by those in power in order to serve the interests of capitalism. The real cause of inequality was the failings of the government, which was hidden by a campaign of negative stereotyping and profiting.

Question 12

Postmodern Approach

Waiton

Answer 12

Argues contemporary societies generate a range of fears and associated panics that are of a different order to the classic “ mods and rockers” moral panic originally described by cohen. Waiton argues moral panics are less likely to occur because societies no longer have a strong central moral code shared by most of the population.