Moral Panics (Key Ideas)

With the increasing number of moral panics in recent years triggered by the AIDS crisis, rock music, sex and violence, this book examines their wider significance particularly in terms of the functioning of the mass media. This Concise Guide Presents And Compares The Various Different Approaches That Have Been Adopted In Studies Of Moral Panics And Integrates Concepts Such As 'risk' Which Have Been Developed In Related Fields. With The Increasing Number Of Moral Panics In Recent Years Triggered By Incidents Such As The Bulger Child Murder By Other Children And The Spread Of Aids, This Book Examines Their Wider Significance, Particularly In Terms Of The Functioning Of The Mass Media. In This Book, Kenneth Thompson Traces The Developments In Moral Panic Studies And Also Reintroduces Some Of The Initial Broader Relevance Of This Field By Treating Moral Panics Not Simply As Separate Episodes But In Relation To Systems Of Representation And Regulation, And As Symptoms Of Wider Social And Cultural Tensions. Why The Panic?: The Topicality Of The Concept Of Moral Panics -- The Classic Moral Panic: Mods And Rockers -- Moral Panics About Truth -- Moral Panic About Mugging -- Moral Panics About Sex And Aids -- Family, Children And Violence -- Female Violence And Girl Gangs -- Moral Panics About Sex On The Screen -- Conclusion. Kenneth Thompson. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [143]-148) And Indexes. Education, Politics & IR, Sociology & Social Policy BOOK COVER 1 HALF-TITLE 2 TITLE 5 COPYRIGHT 6 CONTENTS 7 PREFACE 9 1 ‘WHY THE PANIC?’ — THE TOPICALITY OF THE CONCEPT OF MORAL PANICS 12 THE HISTORY AND MEANING OF THE CONCEPT 18 RISK SOCIETY 32 DISCOURSES AND DISCURSIVE PRACTICES 34 MASS MEDIA AND THE PUBLIC SPHERE 36 2 THE CLASSIC MORAL PANIC—MODS AND ROCKERS 42 THE ROLE OF THE MEDIA 43 SOCIAL CONTROL AGENTS AND MORAL ENTREPRENEURS 47 SOCIAL CONTEXT 50 SUMMARY OF COHEN’S APPROACH 52 3 MORAL PANICS ABOUT YOUTH 54 CLUB CULTURES AND RAVES 60 4 MORAL PANIC ABOUT MUGGING 66 5 MORAL PANICS ABOUT SEX AND AIDS 80 AIDS 81 6 FAMILY, CHILDREN AND VIOLENCE 94 RISK 94 CHILDREN AT RISK 101 VIDEO NASTIES PANIC 108 7 FEMALE VIOLENCE AND GIRL GANGS 116 8 MORAL PANICS ABOUT SEX ON THE SCREEN 126 CONCLUSION 144 REFERENCES 148 NAME INDEX 154 SUBJECT INDEX 158 "This concise guide presents and compares the various different approaches that have been adopted in studies of moral panics and integrates concepts such as 'risk' which have been developed in related fields. With the increasing number of moral panics in recent years triggered by incidents such as the Bulger child murder by other children and the spread of AIDS, this book examines their wider significance, particularly in terms of the functioning of the mass media." "In this book, Kenneth Thompson traces the developments in moral panic studies and also reintroduces some of the initial broader relevance of this field by treating moral panics not simply as separate episodes but in relation to systems of representation and regulation, and as symptoms of wider social and cultural tensions." --Book Jacket It is widely acknowledged that this is the age of moral panics. From the Bulger case to mad cow disease, newspaper headlines continually warn of some new danger and television programmes echo the theme with sensational docmenturies.
This concise survey will help student trace the development of ideas of moral panic and to analyse how changing public perceptions are shaped and reflected through the media over time. Using examples drawn from:
* club culture and raves
* mugging
* sex and AIDS
* children, violence and the family. With the increasing number of moral panics in recent years triggered by incidents such as the Bulger case and the spread of AIDS, this book examines their wider significance particularly in terms of the functioning of the mass media