| Summary: | The purpose of this study is to analyze the debate about dancing and the effects it have on its consumers during the 1920:s. The main source material is the local newspaper Jönköpingsposten (between 1921-1926), but other cases of moral panics are examined for comparative purposes. The study uses a version of Stanley Cohens theory about moral panics as theoretical starting point and aim to identify moral entrepreneurs, folk devils, victims/abusers, disproportionality, calls for social control and arguments based on hearsay in the debate in the newspaper. It also aims to identify differences and similarities in comparison to other moral panics. The main goal for the study is to decide whether you can call the debate in Jönköping about dancing during this time period a “moral panic” and the results implies that you can, even though it is tough to get information about whether or not the information some of the moral entrepreneurs have were based on hearsay. It also identifies some notable differences between this debate and other moral panics, especially in how the arguments against dancing are framed and how they seem to stem from what dancing implies about its consumers’ character, instead of concern of their well-being. This is shallowly explained by connecting it to the moral philosophy of virtue ethics.
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