SOCIOL 1650 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Moral Panic, Rodney King, Rock And Roll
Document Summary
Civil unrest: it involves a disruption of the typical social order; it can involve a strike or protest, and it can be peaceful or involve violence. Riots: are characterized by unruly mobs, often engaging in violence and mayhem: ex: 1967 detroit riots, 1992 rodney king riots. Rebellions- tend to be more organized and have clearer goals for change; can be violent or nonviolent; characterized by attempts to change the social order in some way. Ferguson had all three, from the sociological perspective, but only the rioting received intense media coverage. Moral panics: widespread fears or concerns that something- or some people- pose a grave threat to the moral fiber of a society; appears to threaten the social order. Fear is out of proportion to the threat. Moral entrepreneurs argue that the danger posed is monumental, the threats are often exaggerated. Crusaders who work extensively to raise public awareness about the threat.
