Stanley Cohen is a Professor of Sociology. He has studied human behaviour and written books about the Mods and the Rockers from the 60’s. According to Stanley Cohen ”…condition, episode, person or group of persons emerges to become defined as a threat to societal values and interests.” He also said that people who threaten the social order are Folk Devils.
Cohen studied the Mods and Rockers and how they were seen in the public eye. Because they were seen as different by non-mods/rockers they were treated differently and were seen as animals. They were seen to be out of control and a threat to the law.
The mass media was responsible for the majority of the panic because they only focused on the negatives and seemed to stir everything up between the public and the gangs.
This is similar to today’s world, the London Riots included all types of people; young and old, however the way it was shown primarily by the media, it made everyone think it was just teenagers that took part.
No comments:
Post a Comment