| The social constructionist framework is applied to the analysis of the construction of the 'biker gang' problem. Relying on Goode and Ben-Yehuda's (1994) five criterion model, it is argued that the societal reaction accorded to bikers after the death of an 11 year old boy in an August 9th, 1995 bombing in Montreal can be defined as a moral panic. The three primary claims-makers---police, victims' rights activists, and politicians---employed similar grounds, warrants and conclusions in the construction of their arguments. The organizational strategies of each primary claims-maker varied depending on their interests, resources and ownership. Acting as secondary claims-maker, the participation of the media was important for the successful construction of the 'biker war' as a social problem. These four main claims-makers acted independently and collaboratively to portray the bikers as folk devils, presenting distorted and exaggerated claims regarding the threat bikers posed for members of society. The 'end' of the moral panic came about with the introduction of anti-gang legislation. The findings from a content analysis of newspaper articles form the basis of this study. |
