word
Moral Panic
MOR-ul PAN-ik
/ˈmɒrəl ˈpænɪk/Listen
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Syllable breakdown
moralpanic
Dictionary meaning
A widespread fear, often disproportionate, that some group or behaviour poses an extreme threat to the values and interests of society, amplified by media and moral entrepreneurs
History and origin
Coined by Stanley Cohen in his 1972 study Folk Devils and Moral Panics
Examples
- The 1980s Satanic panic was a classic moral panic, driven by fears unsupported by evidence.
- Each generation produces its own moral panics about new technologies and youth culture.
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