Social Deviance and the Consumption of Marijuana

1181 Words5 Pages
Deviance is defined quite simply as any thought, behavior or action which violates social norms or norms instituted by formal power structures within a given society. It is difficult, if not impossible, to define deviance specifically within a parametrical set of behaviors or ideas, because the very nature of deviancy is such that the categorization of a particular instance of behavior may or may not be considered deviant depending on the precise social context and time. Therefore, deviancy is a contingent phenomenon, and cannot be defined specifically without reference to context. The study of deviancy extends throughout the humanities and the social sciences, and is of particular concern to sociologists and social psychologists. The implications of deviancy are far and wide, and at their core, represent the very quintessence of how societies thrive, how individuals socialize, how culture is created and, importantly, how culture is reinforced. In considering the various implications of deviancy, it is of the utmost importance to consider the evolution of human beings as social animals. Moving forward from this critical recognition, it is necessary when examining a deviant behavior to define its context. This essay will briefly expound upon the recreational and medicinal consumption of marijuana as a form of deviant behavior within the context of modern American society. For the purposes of this essay, modern American society will be taken to mean society within the United States following the industrial revolution. Human beings are social animals, and while this realization is often invoked informally to relate the fact that human beings (mostly) have an innate need to socialize and to view themselves as well esteemed within their peer groups, the implications extend to the biological evolution of Homo sapiens. This is to say that the fact that all human beings
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