MEDIA Moral Panics And Deviancy Amplification Flashcards
What is deviancy amplification
When the media reports an exaggerated version of defiance (going against norms and values). Media’s response heightens public awareness which makes people a gage in more deviant behaviour
Deviancy amplification spiral - Wilkins
- deviant act committed,2. problem group identified (folk devils) and exaggerated reports appear in the media, confirming pattern and increases public concern 3. increased public desire to be kept informed (means higher audience numbers) 4. publicity glamourised deviant behaviour so more people take part, 5. Moral panic develops, public is concerned and demands action (police focus attention and judges deal harsher sentences/new laws) 6. public feel fear is justified, reinforces moral panic 7. Media profits more and continuous to report deviance
Goode and Ben yehuda
said there are 5 elements in a moral panic, not Cohen’s stages:1. concern(behaviour of a group will have negative effects for society),2. hostility (group become folk devils, creates a division) 3. Consensus (widespread acceptance that folk devils pose threat to society) 4., disproportionality (harsher measures than the threat are introduced) and volatility (tend to disappear quickly because there is new stories or the narrative changes)
Furedi
moral panics come when society fails to adapt to dramatic social change. Moral panics reflect wider concerns of the older generation as they see themselves at greater risk, they believe the media is responsible for loss of traditional norms and values. Loss makes them more vulnerable to anxieties that come with moral panics
Mc Robbie
believes moral panics are a means of social control but bc there as so many new, their effect has changed. Moral panics are no longer about social control but about the fear of being out of control
Mc Robbie and Thornton
media have become smarter at understanding how deviancy amplified works and that moral panics used to be unintended but now they have become a goal for shock value
Examples of moral panic- Cohen
1964 at Clapton on sea beach at Brighton. Mods and rockers two different motorbike groups who were both there at Easter bank holiday. There was a clash between the 2 which was exaggerated by the media as they were having a slow news day with newspaper titles like ‘terror beach’, ‘riot police fly to seaside’ when only £200 of damage was done. Labelled as folk devils and presented as threats by the media and made a target by local authorities. Drama d publication led to people identifying as one or the other
Example of a moral panic-Thornton and drug taking
in the 90s and found there was a moral panic towards drug taking and ravers. Did an ethnography and found the reality was diffeeent to the media coverage. Death of Leah Betts escalated the moral panic: took ecstasy and heard to drink lots of water but drank too much (2L in 1 and a half hours) and couldn’t urinate so died of water intoxication. Media exaggerated as said she was given tainted drugs, dramatic photos, only 18, young and attractive in a small village and parents gave interviews blaming drug dealers.
Example of moral panic: welfare cheats and single mothers
Woman pretend to be single mother to gain welfare on news cover. Public outraged and and said things like ‘welfare needs to be tackled’ term benefit chest used 442x in newspapers in one year (exaggeration) only 8% of people on benefits have 3 or more children
Example of moral panic :James bulger case
James bulger (2 years old) was abducted and mirderd by two 10 year old boys. Revealed that the film childsplay 3 was the inspiration. Boys made folk devils and moral panic surrounding violence in the media. The public pushed to know the names of the boys. Judge said it was ‘evil’
Marist perspective of moral panic: Cohen
studying moral panics allows us to see the ways we are being manipulated into taking things seriously and other things not seriously enough
Marxist perspective of moral panic - hall et al
moral panics benefit capitalism as they decide who the folk devils are like mugging are applied to black working class males with the aim of division amongst the white and black working class
Marx perespecitve of moral panic Miller and reilly
moral panics soften up public opinions so people are prepared to accept repressive social controls as solutions to problems, this is how the ruling class gain more control over the masses
Interactionist perspective of moral panic-Becker
A label has the affect of confirming the individual as deviant. This may block off their participation in normal society and may seek out the company of others and increase deviant behaviour
