Reference no: EM132287373

Prior to beginning work on this assignment, review Chapter 6 from your course textbook, perform your own research, and read the following articles: Chapter 6 is attach file

· The Media, Stereotyping and Moral Panics

· What Caused the Salem Witch Trials?

· Moral Panic: Who Benefits from Public Fear?

· What are Moral Panics?

· On the Concept of Moral Panic

· The Return of the Techno Moral Panic

An important aspect of public sociology is gaining an understanding of the creation of social norms and societal perceptions of deviant behavior. In the modern technological age, social norms and what is deemed to be deviant behavior can change and/or be revealed through media and political communications very quickly and with broad reach, with little scrutiny or critique.

Without an assessment, as to the scope of the prescribed deviant behavior, nor its impact or perceived negative value to society, these "moral panics" can be problematic and deter a citizen's focus away from the true issues in society.

However, they can also be a first glint of a growing concern that could become a major social issue, so ignoring them can be perceived as short-sighted as well. This assignment seeks to highlight the social issue of moral panics in modern society and critique their value in forming society's opinions on what is deviant behavior and worthy of significant social concern.

This assignment is a "thought-piece" that requires you to academically support your ideas, as a presentation of your own developing and evolving perspective on social norms and social problems.

In your paper, include the following sections/components:

The Creation of Moral Panic (1-2 pages)

· Explain the concept of moral panic.

· Discuss how social norms, deviant behavior, and moral entrepreneurs influence the creation of moral panics.

Choose a Moral Panic (1-2 pages)

· Describe an example of a moral panic that you have chosen from your research.

· Discuss whether the moral panic was a justified response to social phenomena or an overstatement of a niche social issue worthy of little societal concern.

Value to Society (1-2 pages)

· Summarize the positive and negative impacts that moral panics can have upon society.

· Justify through using your informed opinion and conclusions whether moral panics have a value in modern society.

The Aspects of Social Understanding Research paper

· Must be a minimum of four double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center 's APA Style

· Must include a separate title page with the following:

o Title of paper

o Student's name

o Course name and number

o Instructor's name

o Date submitted

For further assistance with the formatting and the title page, refer to APA Formatting for Word 2013 .

· Must utilize academic voice. See the Academic Voice  resource for additional guidance.

· Must include an introduction and conclusion paragraph. Your introduction paragraph needs to end with a clear thesis statement that indicates the purpose of your paper.

o For assistance on writing Introductions & Conclusions  as well as Writing a Thesis Statement , refer to the Ashford Writing Center resources.

· Must use at least 3 scholarly sources in addition to the course text.

o The Scholarly, Peer Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources  table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. If you have questions about whether a specific source is appropriate for this assignment, please contact your instructor. Your instructor has the final say about the appropriateness of a specific source for a particular assignment.

· Must document any information used from sources in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center's Citing Within Your Paper

· Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. See the Formatting Your References List  resource in the Ashford Writing Center for specifications.