topic 6 - role of the media in deviant youth subcultures

Question 1

define folk devils, cohen 3

Answer 1

1. ‘social types’ that serve as ‘visible reminders of what we shouldnt be’
2. when the media reports on deviant behaviour they construct a narrative which features the folk devil as the villain
3. folk devils were the mods and rockers

Question 2

what was cohens research on folk devils based on 2

Answer 2

1. media storm over a violent clash between 2 youth subcultures on a beach in england in 1964
2. newspapers published articles referring to the event as a ‘riot’ and ‘day of terror’

Question 3

what 3 stages did cohen say the media took when reporting on folk devils

Answer 3

1. symbolisation= folk devil portrayed in one singular narrative, appearance and overall identity oversimplified to be easily recognisable
2. exaggeration= facts of the controversy surrounding the folk devil are distorted or fabricated to make the subculture appear immoral
3. prediction= further immoral actions on the part of the folk devil are anticipated

Question 4

recent examples of folk devils, alexander 3

Answer 4

1. asian youth have become ‘the new asian folk devil’
2. stereotypes of muslim boys changed from being passive and hardworking to portrayed as a threat to society
3. viewed as aggressive and at high risk of being radicalised bc the media exaggerates stories about their involvement in riots

Question 5

recent examples of folk devils, fawbert 4

Answer 5

1. examined newspapers and found that hoodies became a common term to describe young ppl involved in crime in the 2000s
2. in 2004, only 1 article in the whole of the UK used the term to describe a young thug
3. however in 2005, tony blair vowed to clamp down on anti-social behaviour and young ppl banned from wearing hoodies in certain shopping centres
4. hoodies became a symbol of mischief, sales of it increased as young ppl realised it annoyed ppl in authority

Question 5

moral panics, cohen 5

Answer 5

1. media reporting creates anxiety amongst the general public about the behaviour of a particular social group presented as ‘folk devil’
2. puts pressure on the authorities to control the issue and discipline the group
3. media concern is out of proportion to any threat to society posed by the group
4. study of ‘mods and rockers’ cohen claimed the media produced exaggerated reports about the extent of violence between the 2 groups, causing concern among the general public
5. police responded by being more likely to arrest youths from either subculture or deviant behaviour

Question 6

moral panics, stuart hall 3

Answer 6

1. neo-marxist, sees moral panics as serving an ideological function
2. early 70s, british capitalism experienced a ‘crisis of hegemony’, proletariat openly challenging the gov and power held by the bourgeoisie bc the public was seeing the failures of capitalism due to inflation and rapidly rising unemployment
3. news stories created a folk devil of black youths as muggers, served ideological purpose of turning white wc against black wc. divert attention away from mismanagement of capitalism and black ppl were scapegoated

Question 7

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