Understanding
Moral Panic
Theory
Exploring Power Dynamics and Social Construction
of Deviance
By Sumaiyaa Aklan
Introduction to Moral Panic
Definition of moral panic: a concept • This can lead to disproportionate
that refers to a situation where a
person or group of people is labelled
expressions of alarm and have serious and
as a threat to societal values and long-lasting repercussions on legal and
interests, often presented in a stylised
and stereotypical manner by the mass
social policy, as well as the way society
media. conceives itself.
Key Features: concern, hostility,
consensus, disproportionality, and • These panics can result in stigmatisation,
volatility. Moral panics often arise
from a combination of societal fears,
discrimination, and even violence towards
media sensationalism, and political the targeted group or individual.
agendas.
Cohen's Conceptualization
Cohen's definition highlights
the role of the media in creating Key features of moral panics
The moral dimension of the
such panics, which can connect include concern, hostility,
social reaction is also important
with latent public anxiety and consensus, disproportionality,
in Cohen's conceptualisation.
trigger disproportionate and volatility.
expressions of alarm.
The moral dimension of the
Cohen's conceptualisation social reaction refers to the
emphasises how moral panics are judgement and condemnation of
fuelled by societal anxieties and the targeted group or individual,
media exaggeration, leading to a often resulting in harmful
collective overreaction towards a consequences such as
specific group or issue. stigmatisation and
discrimination.
Effects of Moral Panics
Consequences: long-lasting
repercussions on legal and social
Impact: can include the policies and societal self-conception.
demonization and silencing of Moral panics can also lead to the
minorities, increased coercive loss of basic liberties and the
powers of the police and legal perpetuation of harmful stereotypes.
system, and the construction of Additionally, they can create a
individuals or groups as deviant. culture of fear and mistrust within
society, further perpetuating division
and discrimination.
Example of Moral Panic
• When I heard the word "moral panic," a personal event immediately sprung to mind. When my cousin was
stabbed in his Werribee house last year, it was during a break-in to steal. There were also some
coincidences—a family friend had been attacked on the Werribee bus a few months prior, for being
Ethiopian.
• The community was afraid my cousin was assaulted because he is Ethiopian, because of these near
incidents. There was a general panic to disguise our ethnicity since for fear of being targeted for being
Ethiopian. The community had a sense of alienation and mistrust as a result of these episodes, towards
others.
• Furthermore, despite the fact that most people discovered over the course of about five months that my
cousin was not attacked because of his ethnicity, many of them continued to believe that the majority of
tribes and others despise us for who we are and are concerned about their own and their children's safety.
• Mechanism: sensationalising and demonising
behaviours and groups.
• Outcome: marginalisation, criminalization, reflecting
broader patterns of discrimination.
• Impact: These processes contribute to the
Construction of
dehumanisation of certain groups, making it easier for
Deviance policies that violate human rights to be implemented.
• Significance: Understanding these mechanisms is
crucial in order to challenge and dismantle systems of
oppression and inequality.
Outdated Concept of Moral Panic
McRobbie & Thornton's
Transformation: from emergency
Argument: Moral panic is a
intervention to commonplace
standard tactic used by politicians,
rhetoric for manipulation.
businesses, and the media.
Call to Action: It is essential to
Critique: This concept fails to
move beyond simplistic
account for the structural
explanations and address the root
inequalities and power dynamics
causes of societal problems in
that perpetuate social issues.
order to create lasting change.
Moral panic theory remains relevant but has been co-opted for
strategic purposes.
There has to be an encouragement for critical analysis of
media portrayals and official responses.
To conclude
And the manipulation of moral panic theory highlights the
need for a more nuanced understanding of social issues.
Lastly by critically examining how moral panic is utilised,
individuals can better resist its influence and advocate for
genuine solutions to societal problems
