SOC 1500 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Labeling Theory, Karla Homolka, Moral Panic

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC 1500
• Professor: J.Bruce Morton

Document Summary

Public knowledge about crime and justice is derive largely from the mass media. The way crime is portrayed in media differs from how crime is measured and defined officially. Society has come to feel more threatened by interpersonal violence. Media allows the people to believe that the police are doing their jobs wonderfully and that whatever the case may be (ex. The general belief that youth courts are too lenient is not accurate. Media accounts of crime: the way in which crime is portrayed in the mass media. Moral panic: when a condition, episode or group of persons emerges to become defined as a threat to the societal values and interests. In canada, panic was coming about of how crime is defined and reacted to in canada. Mid-1980s newfoundland violent crime raised nearly 40% over 10 yrs. A folk devil emerged and deemed unemployed male youth to be responsible.