Sociological Perspectives on Drug Abuse

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Sociological Perspectives on Drug Abuse November 3, 2013 Thomas Cameron Table of Contents Introduction1 Functionalist Perspective2 Conflict Perspective3 Interactionist Perspective4 Works Citied5 Introduction Drug abuse is the habitual use of alcohol, prescription drugs or illegal drugs to alter one's mood, emotion, or state of consciousness (TheFreeDictionary.com, 2012). The information presented within this paper will provide the reader with the different sociological theories, specifically the functionalist, the conflict and the interactionist perspectives, and how each perspective could approach and evaluate drug abuse in today’s society. The Functionalist Perspective The functionalist perspective thinks of society as a living organism in which each part of the organism contributes to its survival, which emphasizes the way in which the parts of a society are structured to maintain stability (Schaefer, 2011). In essence the functionalist perspective as it relates to drug abuse, argues that society provides us with social norms and guidelines, which identify the appropriate use of drugs and alcohol. A social norm or guideline could be that drugs, in particular prescription drugs are very functional. They alleviate pain, reduce fevers and treat infections. Another social norm or guideline would be that alcohol in moderation may be routinely consumed with meals, for celebration, or for health benefits. At least one glass of red wine a day has been shown to reduce one’s risk of heart disease. In addition, society also provides social norms and guidelines regarding the excessive use of drugs. For example, college students may think that excessive college drinking is a cultural norm, because the media and advertisers enforce this thought. The functionalist perspective could argue that binge drinking is determined by and is a product of the

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