Moral Panic

"Moral panic is an instance of public anxiety or alarm in response to a problem regarded as threatening the moral standards of society" - Google Define [04.08.2014]

"A condition, episode, person or group of people emerge to become defined as a threat to societal values and interests" - Stanley Cohen: Moral Panics and folk devils (page 9) [1972]

"The breaking of taboos - that which is deemed 'unacceptable' to society"

• Moral panic keep us in our place - keep us scared.
• Preconceived views now on things that happened (this is what fold devils are sometimes defined as, alternatively folk devils are described where things can trigger assumptions)

As example of a recent incident of moral panic is the 2011 London Riots. Stanley Cohen referred to Mods and Rockers as an example of moral panic.  I quote:

"Mods and Rockers show a great form of moral panic as it enabled teen to have stereotypical labels pinned to themselves, which in turn allowed others to form an outside opinion to target and judge without making a calculated and informed decision. The aid of the medias portrayal of a seemingly innocent start to a petty fight between the two different groups of youths then allowed an incorrect opinion to be made from outsiders."

Audience and Institutions of society

Within the pillars of society every now and then there are shocking "moral panic causing" stories that the media report to the public; examples of one of the most common moral panic stories are of child rape; reports have been made of this happening within all five pillars of society, Media, education, religion, law, and politics:

• Church priests
• Jimmy Savile
• Politian's
• Teachers
• Police

20.10.14 - REFLECTION OF MORAL PANIC AND HOW I DECIDE TO INCORPORATE IT IN MY WORK:



I would like to incorporate the ideal created in Stanley Cohen's work: "The breaking of taboos - that which is deemed 'unacceptable' to society"; my initial thoughts and ideas of my music video addresses the moral issues and medical issues that come with substance and alcohol misuse. This theme of my music video is a 'taboo' that is heavily frowned upon within society (which is completely just) this plays alongside the how certain issues can cause panic within society, these issues are always brushed under the carpet when in actual fact there needs to be education to then enable knowledge within people to allow them to make the right choice within life as everything in life is a choice. Governments and society make the choice of hyping up certain events to create moral panic within society and this sculpts and moulds how society act as a whole or how they allow themselves to be segregated.