"A moral panic is the intensity of feeling
expressed in a population about an issue that
appears to threaten the social order."
expressed in a population about an issue that
appears to threaten the social order."
Moral panic, in sociology lingo, occurs per Cohen, when a
"condition, episode, person or group of persons emerges
to become defined as a threat to societal values and interests."
to become defined as a threat to societal values and interests."
Population refers to any group or subset of a group of people, who have something in common, not necessarily everyone living in a defined geographic area. Examples of this phenomenon would include the witch hunts of the middle ages in European history, and Salem, Massachusetts in early American history. More recent examples of moral panic include the 1980s media explosion of wild stories about satanist day care atrocities, which mimic the historic older witch hunts, like the classic example of the execution of Urbain Grandier and the 'Loudon possessions' in 1634.
The stories turned out not to be factual, but ginned up a lot of press and a lot of emotion - mostly fear - about Satanism. So when I noticed from the various forms of the media that Christine O'Donnell, the GOP / Tea Partier candidate for Biden's former senate seat in Delaware, and Reagan administration political director Ed Rollins, were involved with 'witchcraft', 'satanism', and 'voodoo dolls of political adversaries', they seemed classic examples of moral panic, from approximately the same era, redux. I would point to the current promotion of Islamophobia by the Right to be a current example. Homophobia in the past two decades is another. Newt Gingrich and Christine O'Donnell's focus on positions that 'sex-is-evil', satanism and witches, modern science (especially evolution), 'secular socialist government', gun confiscation, misinformation about illegal immigrants (including Amnesty) and fears of a 'homosexual agenda' calculated to appeal to the extreme right and fundies, are other examples. I would add all of the video frauds of James O'Keefe to this list, but especially his efforts to promote fraudulent notions that ACORN was complicit in schemes to prostitute illegal immigrant underage girls.
Moral Panic is defined by sociologists Goode and Ben-Yehuda, and others, as having these distinctive characteristics:
Concern,
HOSTILITY,
Consensus,
DISPROPORTIONALITY,
VOLATILITY.
VOLATILITY.
I find those three qualities in caps to be really, really good red flags to look for in identifying instances of moral panic. Concern refers to a belief, valid or invalid, that there will be a negative societal result. Hostility is present as a red flag when antagonism increases, resulting in a definition of 'us' and 'them'. Consensus is when a preponderance of the group comprising the population in question agrees there is a risk or hazard to them. Disproportionality is when belief or actions exceed the actual threat compared to the perceived threat. It is for the purpose of determining disproportinality that I find one of my strongest motivations for fact checking. Lastly, Volatility is the quality where public interest, fear, or outrage both rises suddenly and intensely, and then wanes fairly quickly in the face of new interest, information, or distractions.
Some of the sociologists, like Stuart Hall in the later 1970s, focused on moral panics as being intentionally manipulative for political or economic purposes. Those who start moral panic are defined by the Sociology term, 'Moral Entrepreneurs'. Howard S. Becker coined the term, creating two categories, rule creators, and rule enforcers. Some moral entrepreneurs are well intentioned. I would add to Becker's definition my own, Immoral Entrepreneurs, defined as those who create moral panic with the calculated intent to profit from the population involved in the moral panic, either economically (book sales, speaking fees, or media attention, or employment for example), politically, or through obtaining any other form of personal advantage, influence, or power.
I would encourage every Penigma reader to use this guideline of the criteria for Moral Panic, and the definitions of Moral Entrepreneur and Immoral Entrepreneur in evaluating current events, especially politics.
Don't forget the fact checking. Look up 'folk devils' if you find this subject interesting, for more insight into moral panics. Push back against Immoral Entrepreneurs, by learning to recognize them more clearly, and opt out of manipulative moral panics; don't wait for the next election to do it.
Some of the sociologists, like Stuart Hall in the later 1970s, focused on moral panics as being intentionally manipulative for political or economic purposes. Those who start moral panic are defined by the Sociology term, 'Moral Entrepreneurs'. Howard S. Becker coined the term, creating two categories, rule creators, and rule enforcers. Some moral entrepreneurs are well intentioned. I would add to Becker's definition my own, Immoral Entrepreneurs, defined as those who create moral panic with the calculated intent to profit from the population involved in the moral panic, either economically (book sales, speaking fees, or media attention, or employment for example), politically, or through obtaining any other form of personal advantage, influence, or power.
I would encourage every Penigma reader to use this guideline of the criteria for Moral Panic, and the definitions of Moral Entrepreneur and Immoral Entrepreneur in evaluating current events, especially politics.
Don't forget the fact checking. Look up 'folk devils' if you find this subject interesting, for more insight into moral panics. Push back against Immoral Entrepreneurs, by learning to recognize them more clearly, and opt out of manipulative moral panics; don't wait for the next election to do it.
I like the term, it's certainly appropos to the current political environment, such as...
ReplyDeleteAllowing Gay Marriage will cause the doom of traditional marriage. First of course, traditional marraige has been in decline since women gained economic liberty. Second, how? This conflation of moral "rightness" (that marraiges rightly SHOULD last forever) with the conduct of those outside that very definition they desire (between a man and a women) is both oxymoronic (because it has nothing to do with their defition) and counter-intuitive, how can the conduct of those you consider outside the sphere influence the sphere? There is truly no proof of this ludicrous 5 alarm false alarm, yet it continues unabated.
The same can be said for "big gov'mint" - there is an aversion to overcontrolling and overspending (and rightly), yet it is wrongly blamed for all of societies ills. The Tea Party crowd complains about the government, about the people who need to "get a job" and "take responsibility" and how American morals are eroded by this kind of laxity, yet they are also the same ones who ask for government intervention in natural disasters, blame the government rather than themselves for jobs moving overseas (due to our "discount philosophy" far more than taxation or spending) and/or any who are ambivilent about gov'mint spending on military misadventures. This hypocrisy of a lack of personal accountability about government activity when THEIR chosen party was in power appears totally lost on them. They niether grasp that they lack the christian charity they claim to champion nor that they sat by idley while our economic strength was traded away to China for cheap televisions.
Under you 'big government' heading, a moral panic would more correctly be, for example, the fear that the government is coming to confiscate your guns -- which led to the shootings where a man holed up with his guns, and engaged in a shootout with the police. Or...the big government is going to confiscate your gold, so buy collector gold coins at 180% of the value of the gold content - the rip-off promoted by Glenn Beck of his audience. Or...the government is going to bus your under age daughters from their schools to have abortions, the nonsense promoted by Michele Bachmann (or switch from the dollar to a world currency, or pretty much any of the other bullshit her followers thrive on from her). A better example of a moral panic in terms of homosexuality is the one promoted by Bradlee Dean on the radio show right after our friend Mitch's, where he promotes the lie that homosexuals - ALL homosexuals - are same sex molesters of children.
ReplyDeleteSatanism and witchcraft; 'white slavery' in our earlier history, sex slavery now; and immigration lies, are recurrent topics. It was no accident that James O'Keefe selected the lie that ACORN was condoning and assisting the prostitution of under age illegal immigrant girls. That was a two-fer lie, sex slavery, and illegal immigrants. In fact, ACORN had a long and verifiable record of assisting women to get OUT of the sex trade, and of promoting legal immigration, helping illegal immigrants to get proper documents and to go through the channels to become legitimate, and to properly apply for legal immigration status.
The right, who embraced O'Keefe utterly without critical thought, still - in many cases - finds his ludicrous claims completely believable, don't feel they need to question any part of it, because they are far too willing to engage in moral panic. They are EAGER for it,suspending normal healthy skepticism and fact checking; they can't get enough of it, and actively avoid the facts. THAT is moral panic, a willingness to react inappropriately and unfactually to stupid claims, justifying the response by an imaginary danger.
In other words, the fear mongering we have seen from the right, over and over. Islamophobia, where they don't need to know anything about the religion to fear everyone who is muslim. The lies about homosexuality that creates unfounded fears of child molestation. Voter fraud in elections is another example that is fact-free. Claims, like that of Congressman Gohmert, that the CDC and the federal government will force people to eat healthier fruits and vegetables is another 'big government' farce.
I'm begging people to fact check, to be skeptical that these crazy claims are remotely reasonable. I'm promoting being fact-driven, not ideology-driven.
Under you 'big government' heading, a moral panic would more correctly be, for example, the fear that the government is coming to confiscate your guns -- which led to the shootings where a man holed up with his guns, and engaged in a shootout with the police. Or...the big government is going to confiscate your gold, so buy collector gold coins at 180% of the value of the gold content - the rip-off promoted by Glenn Beck of his audience. Or...the government is going to bus your under age daughters from their schools to have abortions, the nonsense promoted by Michele Bachmann (or switch from the dollar to a world currency, or pretty much any of the other bullshit her followers thrive on from her). A better example of a moral panic in terms of homosexuality is the one promoted by Bradlee Dean on the radio show right after our friend Mitch's, where he promotes the lie that homosexuals - ALL homosexuals - are same sex molesters of children.
ReplyDeleteSatanism and witchcraft; 'white slavery' in our earlier history, sex slavery now; and immigration lies, are recurrent topics. It was no accident that James O'Keefe selected the lie that ACORN was condoning and assisting the prostitution of under age illegal immigrant girls. That was a two-fer lie, sex slavery, and illegal immigrants. In fact, ACORN had a long and verifiable record of assisting women to get OUT of the sex trade, and of promoting legal immigration, helping illegal immigrants to get proper documents and to go through the channels to become legitimate, and to properly apply for legal immigration status.
The right, who embraced O'Keefe utterly without critical thought, still - in many cases - finds his ludicrous claims completely believable, don't feel they need to question any part of it, because they are far too willing to engage in moral panic. They are EAGER for it,suspending normal healthy skepticism and fact checking; they can't get enough of it, and actively avoid the facts. THAT is moral panic, a willingness to react inappropriately and unfactually to stupid claims, justifying the response by an imaginary danger.
In other words, the fear mongering we have seen from the right, over and over. Islamophobia, where they don't need to know anything about the religion to fear everyone who is muslim. The lies about homosexuality that creates unfounded fears of child molestation. Voter fraud in elections is another example that is fact-free. Claims, like that of Congressman Gohmert, that the CDC and the federal government will force people to eat healthier fruits and vegetables is another 'big government' farce.
I'm begging people to fact check, to be skeptical that these crazy claims are remotely reasonable. I'm promoting being fact-driven, not ideology-driven.