Fear In Society

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The use of fear as a political tactic to gain further control over those being governed is a clear social problem related to political institutions and terrorism. To begin, a social problem is defined as a condition that a segment of society views as harmful and in need of remedy. In order to be considered a social problem, three specific criteria must all be met. First, the condition must be social in origin. Second, the condition must harm a significant number of people. Third, society must recognize the condition as a problem and believe that it must be changed in order to progress in the future as a society (Best 1999:6).
The Social Origin The politics of fear meets the first criterion of a social problem. Fear, when used politically, is a social construct. It is exploited in American societies to promote control and compliance. It is also considered social in nature because it has the potential to pit one group of individuals against another individual or group, thereby reducing the general social order. Since “fear promotes fear”, it proliferates amongst individuals in groups, institutions, and structures within America, demonstrating its inherent sociality (Altheide 2006:532).
The Individuals Harmed …show more content…
The politics of fear threatens democracy by warping its citizens’ perceptions and senses of security. For example, the politics of fear harms our foreign relations by making certain individuals from other countries seem criminal or evil by reinforcing the false beliefs in who is a considered a “terrorist”. Grossly misinformed individuals oftentimes reason that all Muslim individuals are, or at least have some sort of connection to, terrorists. This misconception is very hazardous, especially when hate crimes and other aggressive behaviors are exhibited towards these

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