Deviant Behavior
July 1, 2002
Benjamin Cornwell, Annulla Linders
67 citations
The authors challenge the concept of moral panic and propose an alternative model for understanding how deviance is constructed in public discourse, using the prohibition of LSD as an example. Drawing on research about collective behavior and how people respond to disasters, they argue that when faced with ambiguous social threats, people seek to clarify conflicting information by affiliating with others. This interpretive process resembles how social movements develop frames that prepare participants for action. Whether something becomes labeled as deviant depends on active social construction by various actors, not just reactive panic. The mass media plays a key role in selecting and disseminating information, fueling interpretive ambiguities and conflicts around potential moral threats.
Deviant Behavior
July 1, 2008
Erich Goode
49 citations
Critics of the moral panic concept wrongly judge it by inapplicable standards, such as the disaster analogy. Using LSD use in the 1960s as an example, the author argues that introducing a new, potentially harmful drug does not create an immediate threat like a burning building, nor does a natural disaster involve a folk devil or deviant. However, the supposed threat of LSD did involve sensitization, stereotyping, exaggeration, rushed judgments, sensational anecdotes, and bogus claims. The moral panic notion remains valuable for illuminating social processes and should stay in sociology's conceptual toolkit.
Deviant Behavior
February 9, 2026
Blake Beaton
2 citations
Microdosing involves taking very small amounts of classic psychedelics like LSD or psilocybin to enhance well-being rather than to get high. This review of 14 qualitative studies from the past decade finds that people microdose to manage anxiety, depression, and stress, and that the practice is distinct from traditional illicit drug use because it avoids euphoria. The findings help explain why microdosing has become a rapidly growing trend, while also identifying gaps for future research.
Deviant Behavior
March 31, 2024
Blake Beaton, Jurg Gerber
2 citations
People who microdose classic psychedelic drugs like LSD and psilocybin learn the methods and values of the practice through a subcultural process in which experienced members transfer knowledge to newcomers. The study shows that newcomers are adopted into the community and instructed in microdosing in ways that mirror traditional, socially acceptable medicinal practices.
Deviant Behavior
January 12, 2023
Jeff Yaremko, Kevin Walby
1 citation
A potent dose of salvia divinorum can dissolve the ego and sense of self, producing a catatonic state that alarmed politicians, media, police, and citizen groups. This paper analyzes news media accounts of salvia use in Canada and its federal regulation from 1991 to 2019 through qualitative content analysis. Claims about salvia shifted from curiosity to risk, and its eventual banning displayed hallmarks of a moral panic, though claims-making about harm continued for years before prohibition. The authors apply the concepts of slow panic and panic policy to salvia regulation, reflecting on implications for drug panic literature and the new psychedelic renaissance.