Examples Of Moral Panic In Western Australia

Moral panic is a fear that grips a large number of people that something is threatening society.

I n t h e p a s t , Australia has participated in substantial events, poised against other ethnicities, but as Australia’s identity emerges, we discover just how far we’ve come since the White Australia Policy and the Cronulla Riots. However, under closer inspection, we discover the real truth, and that is that we truly haven't moved forward at all, and that realistically we put up the facade of being a multicultural country, but once that mask is removed, Australia is just the same as it was all those many years ago.

Another stereotyped Australian notation is entwined with notions of larrikinism. Stereotype of an essentially decent individual that tests the limits of dubious rubrics. It’s said that larrikinism was ascended in response of corrupt and arbitrary authority of convict era.There is seemingly a negative attitude towards the homosexuality linking to religion, political conservatives,authoritarian personalities and traditional gender role beliefs

According to previous moral panic research (Cohen 1972; Cohen 2011; Critcher 2003; Hall et al. 1978; Krinsky 2013:1; Lull & Hinerman 1997) a moral panic may be defined as a widespread incident often triggered by alarming media stories and reinforced by reactive laws and public policy, of exaggerated or misdirected public concern, anxiety, fear, or anger over a perceived threat to social order. Additionally, other studies on moral panic (Critcher 2003; Goode & Ben-Yehuda 2009; Ungar 2001) have shown that social panics arise because of a socially perceived or real threat to certain taken for granted ideologies, values and interests. Evidently, there can be many interpretations of what can constitute a moral panic and that is why Critcher (2003) illustrates that moral panic discourse has developed rather divergent meanings in British and American

Critcher, C (2008) Moral Panic Analysis: Past, Present and Future Swansea University: Blackwell Publishing. Available from: http://www.penelopeironstone.com/Critcher.pdf [Accessed 2

It is easy to look back at the mid-twentieth century, and chalk up their moral “panics” to closeminded attitudes or just plain ignorance. Assuming this, however, is ignorant in itself. There are numerous societal factors that influence and encourage these moral panics regarding numerous issues, such as: alcohol use, sex work, and homosexuality. These societal factors include maintaining and reinforcing social hierarchy, increasing the power of the federal government, and establishing the “otherness” as well as the “right” between individuals.

The Freedom Ride and Tent Embassy are both extremely significant events and had long-lasting impacts on reconciliation and the plight of the indigenous. Reconciliation in Australia is the movement aimed at building unity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. The Tent Embassy was established on the 26th of January 1972, positioned across from what was then Parliament House, in Canberra, where Indigenous activists protested for equality and land rights. For similar reasons, was the Australian Freedom Ride (1965) - inspired by the American Civil Rights movements when a group of students from the University of Sydney travelled around Western NSW in a bus also aimed to raise awareness and encourage resistance against discrimination and poor standards of living conditions of Indigenous Australians.

In human societies there will always be issues or problems that occur which cause some form of reaction from those who feel that their values or societal equilibrium is being threatened. Stanley Cohen and Jock Young led the way in explaining the notion of moral panics and how they are formed and their consequences on society. There have been numerous of these moral phenomena over the years, which have gripped society in a vice lock of terror and more often than not, ignorance. This essay will discuss the concept of the moral panic and look at the case of HIV/AIDS which caused a huge conflict of morality within society. This essay will also analyse the failings of health organisations, politicians, and the

Australia’s aboriginal people have faced extreme historical persecution. In 1998, Australia implemented on annual “National Sorry Day” This holiday serves as a form of recompense and it raises awareness of indigenous populations.

The term moral panic was first used by Jock Young to describe his 1960s study on drug users in Cohen’s book, Images of Deviance. However, the concept of moral panics was defined by Stanley Cohen in Folk Devils and Moral Panics. Cohen identified a moral panic as when “a condition, episode, person or group of persons emerges to become defined as a threat to societal values and interests” (Cohen, 1972). In other words, it is when society as a whole has an unreasonable fear of particular people because of how the media has portrayed them or “a disproportional and hostile social reaction to a condition, person or group” (McLaughlin and Muncie, 2013).

These headlines − from google news − are both explanatory in what Stanley Cohen meant in his definition of moral panics. Sociologist Stanley Cohen defines the concept of moral panics as a wide-spread panic created within society, predominantly by the media, that holds threat over social and cultural norms and values in that society. There is some debate on whether Stanley Cohen’s concept is of relevance and if the subject

In the article, “Moral Panics: Culture, Politics, and Social Construction” by Erich Goode and Nachman Ben-Yehuda, the authors explore the meanings behind moral panics, what contributing factors ignite the panics, who or what may be the cause of moral panics and so forth all while with providing interesting examples. They also propose five criterias that goes into defining moral panics which are; concern, hostility, consensus, dispositionality and volatility. Concern is regarding a measurable or manifested heightened level of

Moral panics do not occur spontaneously, they are a result of an intricate interplay of behaviours and responses (Muzzatti & Rothe, 2004: 329). The media and moral entrepreneurs often tend to stir up the general public in defining deviant behaviour (Becker, 1963: 147). Subsequently, President Bush can be labelled as a moral entrepreneur, owing to his actions and ideals after the 9/11 attack.

Challenge: Select and describe a “moral panic” against a perceived deviance. Analyse the role of the “moral entrepreneur” and “folk devil” in your selected case. Finally, explicate what it demonstrates about individuals and their socialization. (Length: 2 000 words)

Moral panics usually take place at the time of significant changes in society, when there is a great fear of loss of control. In these times "collective consciousness" needs to be reinforced so that society can locate new boundaries. Other examples of moral panics are over witchcrafts, satanic rituals, drugs, handguns, teenage pregnancy, TV violence, Internet and so on. According to Goode and Ben-Yehuda, moral panic has the following necessary indicators: 1. Concern - (different from fear) over the imagined threat (and those associated with