Societal Factors Of Moral Panic - 1538 Words

It is easy to look back at the mid-twentieth century, and chalk up their moral â€Å"panics† to closeminded attitudes or just plain ignorance. Assuming this, however, is ignorant in itself. There are numerous societal factors that influence and encourage these moral panics regarding numerous issues, such as: alcohol use, sex work, and homosexuality. These societal factors include maintaining and reinforcing social hierarchy, increasing the power of the federal government, and establishing the â€Å"otherness† as well as the â€Å"right† between individuals. The first moral panic I want to consider is the craze over alcohol use. In class discussion as well as in the book Last Call, the prohibition against the sale of alcohol was analyzed and discussed.†¦show more content†¦At a convention of the National Retail Liquor Dealer’s Association, the president quoted, â€Å" Gentlemen, we need fear the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union and the ba llot in the hands of women; therefore, gentlemen, fight woman suffrage† (Okrent 65). Many women realized that in order to push forth the suffrage movement, a strong counter measure was to act against the anti-prohibitionist. Basically, they wanted to push forth a movement that supported the issues that were important to them, and the prohibitionist did while the big liquor companies did not. For women, the â€Å"panic† was not n actual fear or moral dilemma but actually a way to gain support for and give power to the suffrage movement. Another point we discussed in class regarding Okrents work, was the role of the federal government. â€Å"The original Constitution and its first seventeen amendments limited the activities of government, not of citizens† (Okrent 3). Prior to the 18th amendment the constitution was molded around restricting the power of the government rather than restricting the citizens. As we discussed, this growing disdain for alcohol consumptio n meant that the government had to take a stance in order to prevent itself from looking weak on one or both sides of the argument. Though the 18th amendment itself may have come across as a direct response to a fear of alcohol consumption, it also expanded the power of the government as Okrent writes: â€Å"for the progressives it [passing the amendment] was anShow MoreRelatedThe Representation Of The Media1624 Words   |  7 Pagesthese youths were a distorted representation of the event since he was there at the time and saw little evidence of the violence they reported. The representation of the event by the newspapers led to public fear and a negative societal response from the people, government, and the police towards the youths of these subcultures. The newspapers made these subcultures more popular leading to the involvement of more young people in these subcultures, as they felt they had to identifyRead MoreThe Hiv/Aids Moral Panic. Essay1641 Words   |  7 PagesThe HIV/AIDS moral panic. In human societies there will always be issues or problems that occur which cause some form of reaction from those who feel that their values or societal equilibrium is being threatened. Stanley Cohen and Jock Young led the way in explaining the notion of moral panics and how they are formed and their consequences on society. There have been numerous of these moral phenomena over the years, which have gripped society in a vice lock of terror and more often than notRead MoreThe representation of youth in a clockwork orange and If....1437 Words   |  6 Pagesfor the next three decades, and â€Å"If†¦.† Was a piece of film that showed an example of this teenage rebellion. One of the main representation theorists at that time was Stanley Cohen, his theory on moral panics describes it as a sporadic episode which, as it occurs, subjects’ society to bouts of moral panic, or in other terms, worry about the values and principles which society upholds which may be in jeopardy. This is one of the main theories I will be applying to the two films I will be analysingRead MoreRacial Bias And Racial Stereotypes Essay1127 Words   |  5 Pagesissue of race representation which becomes even more serious and cause for concern at the moment existed in the past until now, specifically the problem of racial bias and racial stereotypes. Well development of the media is one of the significant factors which influences the issue, especially in the medium of news reporting, for example, the newspaper, network and television news, etc. News contributes to transmitting incident information, but the appearance of news misrepresentation and the languageRead MoreStanley Cohens Concept of a Moral Panic1692 Words   |  7 PagesStanley Cohen’s career started to move in the upward direction with the publication of his first serious research in 1972. The book called â€Å"Folk Devils and Moral Panics† was devoted to the issues relevant to the British society in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Exactly in this book he introduced for the first time such a term as â€Å"moral panic†, which became rather widely used since then. The author of the book concentrated his attention on the rivalry of the two British â€Å"gangs† residing in LiverpoolRead MoreTerrorism and Moral Panic in America Essay1650 Words   |  7 Pagesendangered. There have been a number of moral panics which have captivated society in terror and more often than not, owing to unfamiliarity. This essay will discuss the perception of a moral panic and will look at the case of the September 11th Terrorist attack against the United States of America, which triggered a colossal conflict of morality within modern day society. This essay will also analyse terrorism as a perceived deviance, the role of the moral entrepreneur and folk devil, in order toRead MoreExplanation to Crime and Deviancy Essay1446 Words   |  6 Pages True Crime or Moral Panic? Evaluate and apply sociological theories relating to crime and deviance Explanations of Crime and Deviancy Crime - an action or omission which constitutes an offence and is punishable by law. Deviance-the fact or state of diverging from usual or accepted standards, especially in social or sexual behavior. Crime and deviance are seemingly effortlessly defined by the Oxford dictionary. However sociological prospectives have differing views on crime and the explanationsRead MoreGetting Away with Murder Aaron1464 Words   |  6 Pagesultimately rejected by the judge presiding over the case, is known as the homosexual-panic or gay-panic defense. According to the Harvard Law Review, this defense, a manifestation of the temporary insanity plea, is premised on the theory that a person with latent homosexual tendencies will have an extreme and uncontrollably violent reaction when confronted with a homosexual proposition (Stryker 2). The homosexual panic defense-based on the premise that internal homophobia justifies cold-blooded murder-isRead More Hip Hop vs. Ethics Essay1665 Words   |  7 PagesEthics of The Music Industry Works Cited Not Included Hip-hop culture has been socially labeled as deviant, a counter-culture, un-American because of its lack of moral. Specifically, gangsta rap which glorifies guns, sex, violence, drug use and gang activity has been castigated. This type of rap promotes a nonconformist and rebel adaptive behavior. As a result, it gives hip-hop culture a deviant label. A simple definition of deviance is behavior that does not conform to group-shared norms;Read MoreEssay on The Concept of Moral Panics1884 Words   |  8 PagesThe Concept of Moral Panics A moral panic is said to occur when the media mobilises public opinion around the condemnation of deviance (Media coverage of deviance: moral panics, lecture handout, 07-10-02). Deviance, in this context, refers to the violation of social norms and values, and the subsequent disruption of social order. This essay will begin with a clarification of the terms moral panic and deviance and outline how the two concepts