Moral Entrepreneur

Abstract

Abstract A moral entrepreneur takes on the task of protecting society from alleged threats to its moral order. Whether as a rule‐creator or as a rule‐enforcer, a moral entrepreneur uses public fora, the international media, and social media to advance an agenda. More than just a “meddling busybody,” a moral entrepreneur plays a significant role in the social construction of a social problem, the fomenting of a social movement, as well as in a moral crusade or a moral panic, and in moral regulation initiatives. The moral entrepreneur has been of interest to sociologists ever since Howard Becker coined the term more than a half‐century ago.