Folk devil
Definition
The group or category of person cast as the source of the moral threat in a moral panic. The folk devil is stereotyped, dehumanised, and blamed for social disorder. Cohen's original examples were Mods and Rockers; later examples include asylum seekers, knife-crime youth, and online extremists.
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Explained in
- Media, Crime, and Emerging ChallengesThe group or category of person cast as the source of the moral threat in a moral panic. The folk devil is stereotyped, dehumanised, and blamed for social diso...