“Compare_and_Contrast_the_Approaches_of_Cohen_and_Hall_Et_Al._to_the_Role_of_the_Media_in_Relation_to_Social_Disorder”

This essay focuses on different perspectives on the role of the media in relation to social disorder. Two distinct theories, the one of have looked at the topic from different perspectives; on the one hand how media influencing the public opinion analysed by Cohen, on the other hand Hall and al., focused their attention on what is orchestrate behind the media. Stanley Cohen and Hall et al. were both concerned with social disorder and disorderly behaviour. In particular, they were concerned with the way disorderly behaviour was ‘mediated’. The mass media have an immensely powerful role to play in mediation. However, while Cohen focused on the amplified effects created by the media on specific events; Hall et al. emphasise the important role played by the media in constructing crime and disorder. Even though all social scientists seem to agree that 'Social order is key principle of living together ' (Silva, Reflection on ‘Ordered lives’, Audio CD 3 ) and that disorderly behaviour involves perpetrators and victims, no common definition of such concepts can be concurred. Distinguishing between disorderly and orderly behaviours is therefore not straightforward No definition of disorderly behaviour can be easily formulated; its meaning is not universal and changes from place and time. In addition to it, there appears to be an important difference between the way social scientists and other investigators approach the problem. Some social scientists focus on finding an explanation both to disorderly behaviours and to what induces people's bad behaviour. Others instead are more concerned with the way society defines and deals with disorder. An example of the latter can be perceived in the interpretation given to the role covered by media. According to a first sociologic approach, the media, by some extend, while portraying certain behavioural patterns such as violence on the video, can influence people's behaviour or lead them to an anti-social disorderly behaviour (Huasermann: Kelly and Toynbee, 2009, p.373). Conversely, another approach would look more critically at disorderly behaviour events to see where the decisions were taken to focus on this in the media. Also investigating if the media has a vested interest in depicting certain events and how it can actually influence the public opinion taking a step into social and political changes. Stanley Cohen (1973) suggests that the media define and exaggerate and therefore construct what counts as an antisocial behaviour, through portraying Folks Devil. Folks devil become the focus of public fears and anxieties originating 'moral panic'. The subjects of Cohen’s original study were the ‘mods’ and ‘rockers’, members of two youth cultures who sometimes fought each other and attacked seaside shops in mid-1960’s in Britain. In this theory Cohen does not explain why the media portray Folks devil and does not explain how people select news to read or watch in the media. Referring to newspaper headlines today’s folk devils might be the ‘yobs’, ‘hoodies’ or ‘alco-yobs’ and it seems that media are covering the role of whom have been elected to exemplify ‘what is right or wrong with society today’. Stuart Hall and his co-authors (1978) analysing media coverage of crime in the 1970's argue that the media construct the definition of anti-social behaviour by popularising and amplifying existing state definition such as 'Muggers'. They show how the media and the law protect the interest of selected groups in the society (rich and powerful). In fact the particular attention of the British media in covering crime news during the early 1970s, contributed to an extensive and diffused belief in a crisis of social order, a common feeling of some kind of disrespect and breakdown of the law. Hall et al., drawing on Cohen’s study and his ideas of folk devils and moral panics, and took a step further by investigating the powerful role played by the media in constructing crime and disorder. Therefore they could analyse the construct definition of media in wider social and political conflicts. The British economy was experiencing trouble and there was growing industrial unrest with strikes increasing and many other forms of social and political dissents. A long period of political ‘consensus’ of general agreement about the direction of British society and how it should be governed, was breaking down. Hall et al. argue that the role of media could have led to contribute to social change. According to Hall and his colleagues, the British state (representing the British ruling class) and other agents tried to shape that social order to make a new pattern or maybe to restore the damaged one. Therefore, they tried to define this multiple economic, social and political crisis as a problem of crime and disorder. That is, they identified it as a crisis of law and order that demanded tougher policing and sentencing. Politicians, senior police officers, judges and other spokespeople acted as ‘primary definers’: defining the problem and demanding a crackdown on crime. (frase copiata cambiata troppo poco) The media took their cue from these definers – especially in the identification of ‘mugging’ as the most alarming example of the ‘rising tide of crime’. These constructions of crisis in the media addressed public anxieties and concerns about the state of Britain and turned them into a moral panic about mugging. (frase copiata intera che va cambiata) Hall et al. claim that in this way the real and deep-seated causes of the crisis were obscured. Expertise and authority impose or they convince of a vision of how things and people should go together or how they should be separated. Therefore, inequality, conflict and dissent were instead turned into a crisis of law and order that needed more and tougher policing. Police powers were extended, sentencing got tougher and politicians could always claim the need to be ‘tough on crime’. This created more tension within various groups in society and increase inequalities. There are similarities within the theories of Cohen and Hall et al.: they both recognise the existence of street violence and they are both concerned about it became described and represented by the media, amplified or defined. In both investigation there is a particular attention on how the media influence the public view of events and how public perceive changes, and consequently, how Government and authority justify more vigorous policing and sentencing rather than how tackling the reasons of social discontent (Kelly and Toynbee, 2009, p.375). Even if Hall et al. start to investigate events in the media, based on the theory of moral panic, the social factors that they look at are different. Cohen is interested on the settled, rooted culture of fear and anxiety while Hall et al. focus on how the state divert attention away from real causes, inequality created and social crisis. In addition Hall et al. are focused on 'policing and crisis' and on how a deep sense of crisis can be created by negative media portraying. Instead the attention of Stanley Cohen is focused on the term 'moral panic' (Kelly and Toynbee, 2009, p.371-375). Also Government, that seems to orchestrate the media, try to restore order with policing. ASBO’s (Anti Social Behaviour Orders) for example, are court orders which ban named individuals from committing particular acts (Kelly and Toynbee, 2009, p.364). The aim behind the development of the ASBO (Anti Social Behaviour Order) was to encourage local communities to report petty crime and reflected a particular anxiety to prevent youth’s crime and disorder. Stanley Cohen would argue that such policies were accepted because of the negative image that was portrayed in people's mind of a specific group of people. Cohen would see such a law could create 'folks devil' in the community, in the same way the media creates a sort of stereotype. On the other hand Hall et al. would say that ASBO in the attempt to restore order would, instead highlighted the diversities with the 'Otherings', create tension, sense of crisis in local communities as well as in national level. Another evidence of law related to disorder was the Dog Dangerous Act 1991 (Lodge and Hood, 2002). In 1990 and 1991 there were sensationalist tabloid newspaper reports on Rottweilers and Pit Bull Terriers that mauled and killed children (Kaspersson, 2008). A selective portrait of crime in the news showed how a small-scale events, like one dog-bite, create deviancy amplification and therefore moral panic. This produce the circumstances where a selective knowledge of events brings to confront policy-makers with a somehow `forced choice', given a particular set of political conditions' (Lodge and Hood, 2002). Lodge and Hood wrote an article giving evidence that the pressure to proceed in an immediate policy solution was not sustained from solid evidences in 1991. As well the Criminology Maria Kaspersson, investigating evidence with statistic and personal observation that the Act was is in many ways a 'controversial piece of legislation', that it has been hailed as example of poor legislation, ‘hasty’ and ‘ill conceived’ and the result of a moral panic. The act is not based on evidence and has different solutions in every different European country. Hall et al. in this case would have investigate evidence of what authority bodies would benefit for such of distraction. However both psychologists would agree that media effected policy changing. In conclusion there are a few similarities between the two groups of researchers in the way they analyse the role of media in relation to social disorder. The similarities are mainly sited in the observation of how media can influence public to the level of stereotyping a certain group in the society or creating themselves social disorder. The contrast mainly resides in investigating the reasons to induced moral panic: Hall is more detailed and more interested about the consequences of moral panic and Cohen would be more focused on how people generate social anxiety. Even if Hall et al. start to investigate events in the media, based on the theory of moral panic, the social factors that they look at are different. Cohen is interested on the settled, rooted culture of fear and anxiety while Hall et al. focus on how the state divert attention away from real causes, inequality created and social crisis. In addition Hall et al. are focused on 'policing and crisis' and on how a deep sense of crisis can be created by negative media portraying. Instead the attention of Stanley Cohen is focused on the term 'moral panic' (Kelly and Toynbee, 2009, p.371-375). Also Government, that seems to orchestrate the media, try to restore order with policing. ASBO’s (Anti Social Behaviour Orders) for example, are court orders which ban named individuals from committing particular acts (Kelly and Toynbee, 2009, p.364). The aim behind the development of the ASBO (Anti Social Behaviour Order) was to encourage local communities to report petty crime and reflected a particular anxiety to prevent youth’s crime and disorder. Stanley Cohen would argue that such policies were accepted because of the negative image that was portrayed in people's mind of a specific group of people. Cohen would see such a law could create 'folks devil' in the community, in the same way the media creates a sort of stereotype. On the other hand Hall et al. would say that ASBO in the attempt to restore order would, instead highlighted the diversities with the 'Otherings', create tension, sense of crisis in local communities as well as in national level. Another evidence of law related to disorder was the Dog Dangerous Act 1991 (Lodge and Hood, 2002). In 1990 and 1991 there were sensationalist tabloid newspaper reports on Rottweilers and Pit Bull Terriers that mauled and killed children (Kaspersson, 2008). A selective portrait of crime in the news showed how a small-scale events, like one dog-bite, create deviancy amplification and therefore moral panic. This produce the circumstances where a selective knowledge of events brings to confront policy-makers with a somehow `forced choice', given a particular set of political conditions' (Lodge and Hood, 2002). Lodge and Hood wrote an article giving evidence that the pressure to proceed in an immediate policy solution was not sustained from solid evidences in 1991. As well the Criminology Maria Kaspersson, investigating evidence with statistic and personal observation that the Act was is in many ways a 'controversial piece of legislation', that it has been hailed as example of poor legislation, ‘hasty’ and ‘ill conceived’ and the result of a moral panic. The act is not based on evidence and has different solutions in every different European country. Hall et al. in this case would have investigate evidence of what authority bodies would benefit for such of distraction. However both psychologists would agree that media effected policy changing. In conclusion there are a few similarities between the two groups of researchers in the way they analyse the role of media in relation to social disorder. The similarities are mainly sited in the observation of how media can influence public to the level of stereotyping a certain group in the society or creating themselves social disorder. The contrast mainly resides in investigating the reasons to induced moral panic: Hall is more detailed and more interested about the consequences of moral panic and Cohen would be more focused on how people generate social anxiety. Words: 1540 References Kelly, B. And Toynbee, J. (2009) ‘Making disorder on the street’, in Taylor, S., Hinchcliffe, S., Clarke, J. and Bromley, S. (eds) Making Social Lives, Milton Keynes, The Open University Staples, M., Meegan J., Jeffries, E. and Bromley, S. (2009) DD101 Introducing the social sciences, 'Learning Companion 2', Milton Keynes, The Open University. 'Making and comparing argument' (2009) Making Social Lives, Milton Keynes, The Open University. Open University (2009) DD101 Introducing the social sciences, 'Online Activity 25, Constructing a social science argument: working with theories' [Online], https://learn2.open.ac.uk/pluginfile.php/813276/mod_resource/content/2/html/325_1a.html (Accessed 28 January 2012) Self-reflection I am much more confident in regards to understanding of the material studying. I feel I have a to improve planing the word and understanding of how to answer questions in a more effective way as well as being able to now reference properly in particular the in-text citation reference.