Moral panics – presumptions and stereotypes.

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What is a moral panic?

How are moral panics created?

Through:

• Folk devils – outsiders (folk law / media) • Outsiders as deviants • Outsiders blamed for criminality, social

problems, immorality, disease • Stereotyping

Why are moral panics created ?

• Reasons depending on location, culture, medium, media

• Restoring social equilibrium• Controlling deviancy and its characteristics • Understanding Us and Them

What fears do moral panics play on?

• Folk devils - Stanley Cohen (Mods/Rockers)• Scapegoats • ‘Difference’ or deviant to the mainstream =

something negative • Social breakdown / breakdown of values • Morals contrary to dominant culture • Criminal behaviour • Perception of what is right or wrong

Laswell

1948

Communication through stereotyping

What is a stereotype What is its function?

Communicating stereotypes

Chav

Cheer up, Emo!

Hoodies

Labelling and Politics

• Deviants - tied to social problems due to violating social norms (Polsky, 1967:44).

• Ned Polsky - the hustler and American life.

• Labelling someone as deviant can be used for political means (Blackman, 2011, Becker, 1963:7, Cohen, 1972:9).

Serotyping, audience, propaganda

Stereotyping and audience

Worrying in the media

• How to spot a communist - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkYl_AH-qyk

• Charlie Says always tell your mummy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDu7yYHxZr0

• Kitchen for Trouble https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMXOZw3QpQI&list=PLEDE76779433549DE

• Homophobia - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pcy_6anmVUc

• Funny ones – Don’t talk to robots: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1T5cCjTaZ3A

Activity

1. Looking at magazines, social networking and YouTube: what are the main characteristics that define youth today?

2. You will produce a photo storyboard of a short government worry film aimed at the elderly about the dangers of youth’s labelled as ‘hoodies.’ How do you think hoodies are supposed to behave, how do they communicate (think urban dictionary), how should they be represented and how should society respond to them? We will explore the ease to which assumptions about youth and the elderly can be used by the media, the government and the parent culture to sustain stereotypes.