Folk Devils and Moral Panics - Stanley Cohen

Chapter one of Stanley Cohen’s Folk Devils and Moral Panics explores the subject of deviance. Several theories are used to explain the behaviours of the group/individual and the reactions of society. Stanley explains how society labels rule breakers as belonging to certain deviant groups and once the person is typecast, his acts are interpreted in terms of the status which he has been assigned. The older sociology idea of deviance leads to social control was challenged and can be reversed to: social control leads to deviance. Stanley believes one of the main factors in folk devils and moral panics is the mass media. The article explains that before the news is broadcast the information is structured according to the commercial and political constraints of the television or radio station. The chapter goes on to say that the mass media may not be self consciously engaged in crusading or muck-raking but their very reporting of certain ‘facts’ can be sufficient to generate concern, anxiety, indignation or panic. Stanley believes that the Mods and Rockers Phenomenon is a form of adolescent deviance among the working class youth in Britain. One of the main ideas in this chapter is that natural disaster theory can also be applied to deviance and the Mods and Rockers. When the theory is condensed to warning, Impact and reaction the individual events of the Mods and Rockers fits very well.

This chapter of Stanley Cohen’s book explains very well the idea of deviance and the theories behind it.  It was very intriguing how he incorporated other sociological theories into his analysis. So far the journal article Moral Panic by Arnold Hunt and this chapter particularly agree on the role of mass media in moral panics and the created image around the Mods and the Rockers.

Call no. HQ779.8.G7 C63 2002  in Social Sciences Library

Link to UQ Catalogue

List of Works Cited

Cohen, Stanley. Folk Devils and Moral Panics. 3^rd ed. London: Routledge, 2002.