Why Can’t I Say Reactionary Things Any More? Flashcards
What is reactionary politics? What is it NOT? - Why Can’t I Say Reactionary Things Any More?
Reactionary politics is an attempt to entrench privilege and power structures, maintaining power divisions deemed ‘natural’ by those who benefit from them.
It is NOT an attempt to return to past ideas or methods of working or an attempt to protect the status quo.
What are moral panics? - Why Can’t I Say Reactionary Things Any More?
Moral panics are where something is designated as a threat to societal values. They are represented as such by influential bodies in society to distort the threat of something and build worry and opposition towards it.
What is the intended consequence of moral panics for those who cause them? - Why Can’t I Say Reactionary Things Any More?
Moral panics are created in order to deflect from genuine issues in society or the causes of these issues and divert attention onto less credible worries.
What is othering? Is othering related more to the other or to the individual/group that does the othering? - Why Can’t I Say Reactionary Things Any More?
Othering is the practice of placing an individual or group outside of ‘accepted’ society, excluding them and making them the ‘other’. This relates to the activities of the group that excludes, rather than those that are excluded themselves.
What examples of moral panics exist today? - Why Can’t I Say Reactionary Things Any More?
Moral panics exist in the form of discourse and attitudes towards transgender people, immigration issues and asylum seekers, the ‘woke’ agenda and free speech.
Describe the process in which moral panics are created - Why Can’t I Say Reactionary Things Any More?
Moral panics are created when a vulnerable group or issue is targeted by those with a hold over influential cultural and intellectual institutions. They are displayed as being a threat to the ‘values’ of society, and have this threat distorted and over-emphasises by influential groups. This often done to mask significant issues or the true cause behind these issues.
