Using resources such as textbooks, class notes and the internet complete the following table. Try to identify an example and a sociologist/s connected to the concept.

Concept Definition Example Sociologist/Theory
Deviance

An act or behaviour that goes against the dominant norms and values. It may or may not be illegal.

Murder – illegal and deviant.

Going to a wedding unwashed and in old torn clothes – deviant but not illegal.

Interactionism
Deviancy amplification

The way the media exaggerates a deviant act which leads to further acts of the same kind. Thereby reinforcing the deviance.

Mods and rockers
Hoodies
Gangs
Hippies

Wilkins (1967)

Later used by Cohen (1972) in his study of mods and rockers.
Folk devil

The people who the media believe are doing deviant acts and whom they, the media, then amplify what they are doing.

Mods and rockers
Hippies
Hoodies

Cohen (1972)

Young (1971)
Young used Becker’s Labelling Theory as the basis of his study of hippies.

Fawbert (2008)
Listen to Thinking Aloud Wednesday 27th February 2008.
Laurie Taylor’s interview with Jack Fawbert.

Moral panics

Moral panics occur when the public become concerned about the activities of a group and at the same time the media is exaggerating and sensationalising the activities of the said group.

Mods and rockers
Raves/ravers

Cohen (1972)

Hall (1978)

Goode and Ben-Yehuda (1994)

Thornton

Brown (2012)

McRobbie (1994)