Moral panic is a term primarily used in a population to report crime. In most of the cases, the crime is described by the media. The main issue regarding this subject is how a crime leaves its impact over a society and how the society reacts over it. Moral panic is usually a public panic; it threatens the morality of a society. This means that the cultural and moral values of a society are destroyed as a result of this. Stanley Cohen is a famous author of a sociological study about youth culture and media. The study in which this famous sociologist was involved was specifically named Folk Devils and Moral Panics.
The aim of this essay is to evaluate if Stanley Cohen’s theory of the ‘moral panic’ still relevant today by discussing several moral panic episodes.
In conclusion, the answer to the question “ Is Stanley Cohen’s theory of the ‘moral panic’ still relevant today?” is clear. As a matter of fact, Folk Devils and Moral Panics has a new sayings today which is deeply relevant to today’s modern society. Stanley Cohen came up with some of the previous statements that have come in accordance with moral panic theory. One of these statements is of the text "panic" itself, as it has given out, which are stupidity and unsufficient control. Stanley Cohen believes that "panic" is a perfect text when used as a metaphor. Another statement is that of lack of balance. The problem concerning this issue is that there is no way to figure out what a balance reaction should be to a specific task. Others have read Stanley Cohen's work arguing that the folk devils defined in his work are not all fairly maligned. Thus, Stanley Cohen’s theory of the ‘moral panic’ still relevant in today’s modern society but in different forms. In today’s world, moral panic tends to have more widely definition which can be violent video control, drug abuse, satanic ceremonial abuse, etc.
It is suitable to end the essay with a quote from Stanley Cohen himself , it gives an overall clue explaining why the 'moral panic' theory will keep in relevant in society:
More moral panics will come into being while creating folk devils. This phenomenon happens not resulted by an inexorable inner logic in the process of development. Instead, it happens to be a fact is a result of which the stucture of today’s modern society keep generating problems for some of its members...and then condemn whatever solution these groups find.
