Moral Panic

It is widely acknowledged that this is the age of moral panics. From the Bulger case to mad cow disease, newspaper headlines continually warn of some new danger and television programmes echo the theme with sensational docmenturies. This concise survey will help student trace the development of ideas of moral panic and to analyse how changing public perceptions are shaped and reflected through the media over time. Using examples drawn from: * club culture and raves * mugging * sex and AIDS * children, violence and the family.

The question as to whether we are now entering a risk society has become a key debate in contemporary social theory. Risk and Technological Culture presents a critical discussion of the main theories of risk from Ulrich Becks foundational work to that of his contemporaries such as Anthony Giddens and Scott Lash and assesses the extent to which risk has impacted on modern societies. In this discussion van Loon demonstrates how new technologies are transforming the character of risk and examines the relationship between technological culture and society through substantive chapters on topics such as waste, emerging viruses, communication technologies and urban disorders. In so doing this innovative new book extends the debate to encompass theorists such as Bruno Latour, Donna Haraway, Gilles Deleuze, Felix Guattari and Jean-François Lyotard.

Crime is an American preoccupation. Campaigns such as "the war on drugs," zero tolerance policing, and three strikes and you're out--not to mention the ever-shrill coverage of crime stories-all suggest a perpetually outraged nation determined to keep its criminal element at bay, no matter the cost. But is this really what average Americans think about crime and crime control measures? Or is the "no holds barred" approach merely another oscillation in an ongoing cycle of intolerance and tolerance in American thinking? Have prevailing but short-lived sensibilities on crime overruled our common sense? In this wide-ranging analysis, Michael Tonry argues that those responsible for crafting America's criminal justice policy have lost their way in a forest of good intentions, political cynicism, and public anxieties. American crime control politics over time have created a punishment system no one would knowingly have chosen yet one that no one seems able to change. Fueled by knee-jerk rhetoric and moral panics, the current crime control regime is founded on short-term thinking and the personal ambitions of politicians terrified of appearing "soft on crime," rather than on policies that work. Tonry demonstrates that attitudes toward crime in America are cyclical. Prevailing sensibilities rather than timeless truths govern the American war on crime, resulting in policies both wasteful and harsh. U.S. crime trends closely resemble those of other nations, yet American policies are very different. The evolution of the war on drugs is an example; sentencing grew steadily harsher long after the drug problem itself eased. Seamlessly blending history with an easy presentation of day-to-day realities and empirical evidence, Tonry proposes tangible, specific solutions that can serve as a platform for criminal justice reform. A spirited manifesto rooted in a lifetime of crime expertise, Tonry's book calls on politician and policymakers to choose the right path, not the easy or politically expedient one. We know how to create an effective and humane criminal justice system. Now we must have the courage to do so, by abandoning the current status quo, which is both costly and cruel in favor of practices that will move America closer to the mainstream of contemporary Western values.

This book is a thorough and lively introduction to the role, importance, and power of the mass media in contemporary British spciety. What is the mass media, and how does it help shape life in modern Britain?: After introducing the student to discussions around these questions, the authors examine the historical development of the mass media, issues of ownership, and the roots of its power in the public and political sphere. Contemporary issues surrounding today's media are also addressed. What is the role of the audience? How do people take pleasure from media culture? What are the issues surrounding the news, advertising, public services broadcasting, the shaping of public understanding, censorship, violence, and `moral panics'? the authors also finally look towards the future, considering prospects for a global media and the possible effects of the information superhighway. This book will be an invaluable introduction and point of reference for students of sociology, media studies, politics and human geography, and for anyone interested in our mass media.

"An introduction to the complex issues surrounding technology, communication, culture and society."

Joining theories of states and state formation with theories of illegal practices, this pioneering book traces the unholy alliance of official practices with criminality. Criminal subcultures, mafias and gangs have been the subject of a great deal of attention, as have formal policy approaches of the state. However, the interaction of state police apparatuses with illegal practices has been neglected, despite the recent Foucauldian emphasis on discourses of power, order and disorder.Written by leading experts in the fields of anthropology and history, this book asks why illegal practices -- including corruption and protection rackets -- do not disappear, but continue to thrive. It examines the development of transnational illegal networks, such as the narcotics trade and the new trade in environmentally restricted commodities, as well as how culture, ethnicity and economic considerations drive illegal practices and influence state policy. Wide-ranging in scope, this interdisciplinary book will appeal to anyone studying the sociology of crime and of the state, political science, criminal justice and the law, the anthropology of law and of the state and the history of crime.

This book examines both 'old media' treatment of crime legends: news reports, fictional film and television depictions, as well as 'new media' interactive discussions of them: versions and discussions circulating in Internet newsgroups and via electronic mail lists. It examines rumors in the electronic age, with an eye towards a social context vastly changed from the height of rumor research in the mid-twentieth century.

Sexual exploitation in sport is a problem that has beset both male and female athletes privately for decades but which has only recently emerged as a public issue. Spoilsports is the first fully comprehensive text on the issue, integrating cutting-edge academic research, new theoretical perspectives, and practical guidelines for performers, coaches, administrators and policy-makers. Key topics include: * 'moral panic' * children's rights * masculinity and power * making and implementing policy * leadership in sport. Spoilsports draws extensively on the personal experiences of athletes and those involved in sport. Challenging and controversial, this book represents an important step towards tackling a difficult issue. It is essential reading for coaches, athletes, parents, policy-makers and all those with a personal or professional interest in sport.