Examples Of Moral Panic

Moral panic occurs when a certain group of people pose a threat to the norms of a specific society and because their behaviour challenges societal norms and expectations they are perceived to be deviant. When a moral panic occurs, there are two groups involved, the moral entrepreneur who practices and promotes the obedience of societal norms and the folk devil who rejects this and does not conform to these norms. In this essay, I will be using sexual orientation as an example of a moral panic, I will analyse the role conservative individuals in a society undertake as the moral entrepreneur and how the non-conforming queer individuals are viewed as the folk devil.

The media, particularly in South Africa, has a crucial role to play regarding

In laymen’s terms, we could understand this as liking someone of the same gender. However, the definition is quite broad and one does not necessarily have to engage sexually to fit the description. Adding to the broad definition of homosexuality it is also defined by society and religion. In conservative community’s homosexuals do not express themselves freely because they fear they might be rejected, isolated or even victimised. Many people frown upon homosexuality viewing it as “abnormal.” The fact that one does not like someone of the opposite sex is problematised and in the religious context it is viewed as a sin (Maziti, 2015). These negative connotations regarding gay people has resulted in them, merely being themselves, becoming a moral

Accompanied with their orthodox ways are the rejection of gay people. It is prevalent in many religions, the most popular being Christians, Muslims, and Hindus. Christians also have a strong belief in the bible but there is a tendency to misinterpret scriptures. Some of the popular scriptures in the bible used by the religious folk does not, however, directly refer to the actions of homosexuality. If we look at the scripture in Genesis 19 pertaining Sodom and Gomorrah which delved into issues “such as gang rape, violence, and the flagrant disregard for the sacred obligation to provide hospitality” we can see that there is no relation to homosexuality (Masango, 2002). Subsequent texts suggest that this merely refers to the judgement of God and not homosexuality. Another popular debate by Christians is that being gay is immoral unnatural. (Masango, 2002) suggests that the official teaching of the church is well captured by Nilson as he states that: “Homosexuality constitute a deviation from the order of nature according to which humans are created male and female by God; moral norms based on the truth of human nature are unchangeable since „human nature‟ is complete and finished” (Nilson 2001:61). There are also strong beliefs that when something goes wrong, it is the work of an evil spirit and being gay would mean that you are possessed. (Farias, 2014) argues that “Homosexuality is actually a demon spirit. It is such a