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The Razor Blade in the Apple: The Social Construction of Urban Legends
Joel Best and Gerald T. Horiuchi
Social Problems
Vol. 32, No. 5 (Jun., 1985), pp. 488-499
Published by: Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for the Study of Social Problems
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/800777
Page Count: 12
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Abstract
This paper examines the widespread belief that anonymous sadists give children dangerous treats on Halloween. A review of news stories about Halloween sadism from 1958 to 1983 suggests that the threat has been greatly exaggerated. Halloween sadism can be viewed as an urban legend, which emerged during the early 1970s to give expression to growing fears about the safety of children, the danger of crime, and other sources of social strain. Urban legends, like collective behavior and social problems construction, are responses to social strain, shaped by the perception of the threat and social organization.
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Social Problems © 1985 Oxford University Press