Cohen's Moral Panic Theory - 30/01/2011

Cohen's theory states that a moral panic is a person, a group of people or things in general that are a threat to society's values and interests. For example drugs, cancer, yobs, knife crimes and MP scandals are all classed as moral panics.

Furthermore, moral panics involve the construction of "folk devils" that need controlling, which leads to increased social control (e.g. ASBOs). This occurs during periods when powerful groups or ruling classes face troubled times. Eventually, the panic becomes a substitute for the real (and more problematic) social issues.

The media constructs these moral panics in order to make money and panic within society. There are five stages in the construction a moral panic:

1. Concern - the behaviour of a group are represented as being a threat the requires our concern
2. Volatility - this is a short lived period. Panic erupts but is difficult to sustain. There are negative consequences for the rest of us
3. Hostility - "folk devils" constructed to create a division between 'them' and 'us'
4. Consensus - there is a widespread acceptance of threat posed by the group. This does not always reflect nation concern, but the campaigner will be very vocal whilst opposition will be weak and disorganised 
5. Disproportionality - there is a wild exaggeration of the evidence presented against the opposition - everything from the number of people involved to the scale of the problem is exaggerated to create a moral panic  

A modern day example of a moral panic is Amy Whinehouse, who is a known alchoholic and drug abuser. The media show her as an uncontrollable woman who represents a negative image for the young aspiring singers/bands of today