Moral Panic, Risk or Hazard Society-the Relevance of a Theoretical Model and Framings of Maidan Dogs in Chișin˘au and Bucharest

The study analyses the dynamics of public debate surrounding the issue of maidan [stray] dog population control strategies in Moldavia and Romania. The comparison takes as its point of reference two episodes of moral panic and discusses the applicability of the theoretical models of moral panic, risk and hazard society. Following the work of Bruno Latour, Mary Douglas, Phil Macnaghten and John Urry, the study distinguishes between the conceptualization of strays dogs (as hybrids) in terms of nature, and their conceptualization in terms of culture. It argues that the stabilization in terms of nature is more suitable to be addressed by the theoretical models of risk and hazard society, whilst the stabilization in terms of culture pertains to the theoretical model of moral panic instead.