Overview
Contemporary Moral Panics: Critical Race Theory & Gender
I believe there is a fully developed moral panic about Critical Race Theory and Gender Instruction and Transgender issues (including books that contain these themes) in the US at the moment. Ironically, these panics are once again about children who need protection.
The panics are about much more than critical race theory or gender theory: the panics target the intellectuals and academics as the enemy by converging several issues that point at them as the folk devils (e.g., Marxism/socialism, Black Lives Matter protests, debates on transgender people, free speech). Consequently, they are presented as if they destroy the moral and cultural fabric of society.
I have assigned only three, short academic articles: a chapter from the book, Critical Race Theory that is referred to in the debates and a short presentation by me that connects several moral panics to far right strategies, and a chapter from a book that summarizes the arguments of my own book, How the Workers Became Muslims (2017). My book and this chapter theorizes about the function of moral panics in populist far right's hegemonic strategy. Since the moral panics about CRT and gender are part of the populist right's political strategies, we are going to discuss what populism is and how it divides society into the "people" and the "elites."
I have also assigned a number of articles and opinion pieces from the media that illustrate what is going on at the moment (links to these stories are on Canvas). For example, the opinion piece from The Intercept as similar arguments and connects the moral panic on CRT to larger anxieties and discusses how the political ramifications ((I have not assigned it for its particular positions).
The New Yorker introduces the moral entrepreneur of these panics; the articles from Media Matter illustrate the media’s role in spreading the panic, the Inside Higher Ed explains the money behind these provocateurs. I have also links to articles that show the international dimensions of the far right provocations in several countries. Lastly, I also have links to the website of Christopher Rufo who ignited the moral panics – he is very proud of it. He said he chose Critical Race Theory to attack the education system because it was a catchy phrase that could be used an umbrella term for “the problems.”
Discussing these moral panics in depth will give you a greater insight into the political function of moral panics.
Now, please read the assigned articles and try to connect these pieces together to discuss the following questions:
What is the main argument in my short paper?
How do moral panics contribute to the far right hegemonic strategies, according to my chapter?
Why would these controversies be described as moral panics?
How did a single moral entrepreneur managed to ignite a moral panic about CRT and gender theory?
What kind of social anxieties do the “moral entrepreneurs” appeal to?
How does Irvine's chapter about emotions contribute to our understanding of contemporary crises?
How do you think it is connected to other social and political issues?
Having read the various stories about other countries, why and how do you think it has spread globally?
please number and list the questions with each answer. The questions must be answered through the lens of the reading. Thanks!