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Date: April 19, 2024 Fri
Time: 6:32 am
Time: 6:32 am
Results for demonization
1 results foundAuthor: Wood, Matthew Title: From Folk Devils to Folk Heroes: Rethinking the Theory of Moral Panics Summary: The theory of moral panics, the concept of ‘folk devils’ and processes of ‘demonization’ have provided key analytical and conceptual tools for social scientists throughout the past 40 years. Yet, comparatively little conceptual or empirical work has focused on mirror image phenomena of collective joy, celebration and hope. By introducing a theory of ‘moral euphoria’, emphasizing the concept of ‘folk heroes’, and focusing on processes of ‘deification’, this article provides a fresh perspective within the moral panic literature, showing how certain actors may go from ‘folk hero’ fame to ‘folk devil’ infamy. Specifically, the focus falls on the politics of moral euphoria, how political leaders frequently find themselves caught up in a ‘boom and bust’ cycle of celebratory euphoria and inflated expectations upon winning an election, followed almost inevitably by dashed hopes and post-election ‘demonization’. This debilitating cycle, we argue, finds its roots in the inherent tension in modern democracies between populist pressures and tough governing realities. The article uses the example of two political leaders – Tony Blair in the UK and Barack Obama in the US – to demonstrate this argument. The conclusion reflects on disciplinary boundary-crossing and the important role of scholars in societal debates surrounding ‘heroes’ and ‘devils’. Details: London: Brunel University, Moral Panic Research Network, 2012. 26p. Source: Internet Resource: Moral Panic Studies Working Paper Series, no. 2012/2: Accessed June 3, 2015 at: http://www.brunel.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/255339/20122FromFolkDevilstoFolkHeroesWoodandFlinders.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.brunel.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/255339/20122FromFolkDevilstoFolkHeroesWoodandFlinders.pdf Shelf Number: 135864 Keywords: DemonizationFolk Devils Moral Panics |