What is the purpose of exchange in a heroin marketplace? Robyn Dwyer attempts to answer this question by analysing social relations within the culture of the heroin marketplace. However, her analysis contradicts the supply and demand model, which is the process most commonly accepted (Dwyer 2011, p.19). The secondary reason for her study is to question the derogatory constructions of heroin users and dealers, by showing that they have similar struggles and challenges as the dominant culture (ibid, p.19). Dwyer relates her research back to Davis’ quote (as quoted in ibid, p.19) which asserts that processes of exchange support a social hierarchy. When Zinberg’s and Manderson’s theories are applied to Dwyer’s research they support her conclusions …show more content…
Interestingly it was only after Dwyer had finished her fieldwork that she realised what effect cigarette exchange had upon her experience (ibid, p.20). Dwyer was able to gain entry into the marketplace by freely offering her cigarettes to strangers. This allowed for a connection to be formed, based on a shared habit, that of smoking (ibid, p.20). What becomes evident through her experience is that it was this small connection which allowed for Dwyer’s incorporation into the culture. Each stage of the exchange had different social meanings and how the other players in the exchange acted showed where she stood within their social context (ibid, p.24-25). The exchange of heroin by the Vietnamese also had social meaning. It was a way for dealers to support each other and strengthen communal ties (ibid, …show more content…
Within our western society, there is an assumption that drug addicts are addicts purely because of the pharmacological properties of the drug. Also that the pharmacology of the drug is the primary determinant of its effects. Yet Zinberg theorizes that there are three different variables, drug, set, and setting which affect how a person experiences the drug (1984, p.5). Dwyer talks about how the dealers are entrepreneurs (2011, p.21). Unlike common perception, they are not drug addled deviants who sponge off society but active members of their culture who supply their own habit while also selling drugs to support themselves. Complex societal rules and rituals are performed both subconsciously, as in the case of cigarette exchange (Dwyer 2011, p.20), and consciously, such as the giving of heroin to a person suffering hanging out (heroin withdrawals) (ibid, p.31). Dwyer’s writing supports Zinberg’s theory that drug use is not a simple process to understand, rather it is a multifaceted issue determined by different variables (Zinberg,
From the inception of the Harrison Narcotics Act of 1914, the social concept of drug addicts or those recovering from abuse as “criminal deviants” is still stigmatized today even though we have gained ground and won the war on dru...
“The root cause is a vast, multi-layered incommensurability between the institutions of globalized, market driven society and the basic psychological, social and spiritual needs of human beings” (229). Something that is only briefly recognised in public discussion. The normal methods of intervention are enormously expensive with minimal effects. “Illegal drug business and legal pharmaceutical industries” (229) are financially benefiting from the damaging drugs people use. During a time that is almost complete “domination of Canadian thought by the logic of globalization, it is difficult” (229) to even to come up with a good way of improving dislocation. Dodging these tough realities has created a deadlock and caused us to infinitely endure feeble interventions and ridiculous “war on drugs”
In their ethnography Bourgois and Schonberg are studying the culture of a community of heroin injectors from San Francisco, to which they are referred to as the Edgewater Homeless. They follow them in their everyday lives, recording burglaries, panhandling, love affairs, conflicts, alliances, hierarchies and deaths as well as trips to jail, hospitals, and treatment centers. They delve back into the lives of the Edgewater Homeless to analyze what factors lead them to heroin addiction. In class, it was said that cultures are system and the world is a product of culture exposure. However, this is a culture that has been unknowingly produced by the higher power forces of our nation and is constantly looked down on.
This medicalized interpretation of heroin addiction heavily emphasizes a constant state of suffering for those who are affected (Garcia 2010, 18). Furthermore, Nuevo Dia employees take this framework into account when contributing their efforts to treat addicts, on the premise that relapse will soon follow recovery (Garcia 2010, 13). When detox assistants assure themselves that their patients will return to the clinic, as if they never went through a period of treatment, one can expect that the quality of such to be drastically low. The cyclical pattern of inadequate therapies, temporary improvements in health and detrimental presuppositions all widen the health inequality gap in New Mexico. Garcia shares that the “interplay of biomedical and local discourses of chronicity compel dynamics of the Hispano heroin phenomenon,” which is evident in how the judicial system handles the social issue of addiction (2010,
Addiction is one of the hardest problems to overcome, yet people often find some reward in abusing drugs. We all ask the question to what makes a person an addict, or why is it so hard for drug addicts to kick a drug problem. However, can we say that getting a hold of drugs is much easier in today’s society, or is it made available to easy. In this day and age, heroine seems to be a major epidemic; furthermore, opiates have been around for centuries. Therefore, people have been battling addiction for as long as opiates have been around. In Drugstore Cowboy, the film takes a look in to the life of four people who rob drugstores in order to support their habit; however, this lifestyle
Mitchell, M., & Gould, R. (2009). Opium has always been complex issue in laos: Drug played role in tribal culture, but addiction to it also ruined reputations. Winston-Salem Journal (NC). , Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=n5h&AN=2W6782643631&site=src-live
Cocaine Cowboys is documentary film that was released in 2006 that was directed Billy Corben, and produced by Alfred Spellman and Corben. The film is about the rise of cocaine smuggling and the Miami drug war during the years of 1970s-1980s in Miami, Florida. In our textbook that is chosen for this course which is called, “Sociology: A Global Perspective” (Ferrante). We go over deviance, conformity, and social control in chapter seven; all in which becomes very relevant when put in the same conversation with this film, Cocaine Cowboys. This film is a true example of deviance that our society struggles with still to this day.
Addiction is one of the hardest difficulties to overcome, yet people often find themselves caught in the world wind of addiction. We all ask the question to what makes a person an addict, or why is it so hard for drug addicts to overcome this problem. However, can we say that getting a hold of drugs is much easier in today’s society, or is it made available to easily. In this day and age, heroine seems to be a major epidemic; furthermore, opiates have been around for centuries. Therefore, people have been battling addiction for as long as opiates have been around. In Drugstore Cowboy, the film takes a look into the life of four people who rob drugstores in order to support
The war on drugs in our culture is a continuous action that is swiftly lessening our society. This has been going on for roughly 10-15 years and has yet to slow down in any way. Drugs continue to be a problem for the obvious reason that certain people abuse them in a way that can lead to ultimate harm on such a person. These drugs do not just consist of street drugs (marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy), but prescription medications as well. Although there are some instances where drugs are being used by subjects excessively, there has been medical research to prove that some of these drugs have made a successful impact on certain disorders and diseases.
Some people argue that the drug users aren’t the heroin victims. One writer notes, 'The parents of the user who steals from them, abuses them, physically, emotionally and mentally, the siblings who suffer the loss of care and love but who also get abused and used by the user, the kids of the user who learn that the parent's desire for smack is greater than the desire to be a parent,' are the real heroin victims (Fitzgerald, 2000). This problem therefore effects not only the user but the society living around them as well.
The reason with the old ways do not work, Alexander say, is because “self-destructive drug users are responding in a tragic, but understandable way” (226). It is not their drug- problem that caused the dislocation, but the dislocation that cause the drug problem. He uses the term dislocation to describe the lack of integration with “family, community, society and spiritual values” (226). Alexander goes on to explain that history proves that inability to achieve health opportunities can take on the form of violence, and damaging drug use. Therefore, the “drug problem” (226) is not the problem. The problem is more the “pattern of response to prolong dislocation” (226). Alexander supports this by explaining the reason for the dislocation as being globalized by a society that is market driven which can only be established by the displacement of tradition, economy, and relationships. This has been seen in history before in England during the 19TH century, when “a brutal, export-oriented manufacturing system” was accompanied by work...
...haviors he so wishes to comprehend are those whom he labels as The Cocaine Kids. Now that examples of these drug sellers’ behaviors have been provided, the criminological theories that can explain such behaviors have been made visible to the unseen eye. Criminological theories including the theory of Differential Association, the Subculture of Violence Theory, and the Social Learning Theory can be viewed as methods for developing a knowledgeable understanding of how and why such behaviors introduced individuals to the drug-selling world, kept them submerge deep within it, and allowed for them to leave it.
Substance abuse and addiction have become a social problem that afflicts millions of individuals and disrupts the lives of their families and friends. Just one example reveals the extent of the problem: in the United States each year, more women and men die of smoking related lung cancer than of colon, breast and prostate cancers combined (Kola & Kruszynski, 2010). In addition to the personal impact of so much illness and early death, there are dire social costs: huge expenses for medical and social services; millions of hours lost in the workplace; elevated rates of crime associated with illicit drugs; and scores of children who are damaged by their parents’ substance abuse behavior (Lee, 2010). This paper will look at the different theories used in understanding drug abuse and addiction as well as how it can be prevented and treated.
In the United States today, drug use, substance abuse, and addiction are consistently growing dilemmas! At a young age we are asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Answers vary from doctor, police officer, astronaut, etc.; it is hard to image an individual saying, “I want to be addicted to drugs.” However, society witness’s individuals tumbling into drug addiction or other forms of addiction daily. This, in consequence, can cripple and prevent any person from accomplishing their childhood dreams. Addiction has many forms; this is evident in Requiem for a Dream, Darren Aronofsky’s critically renowned film, centered on the effects of drug use and misuse. The film conveys how quickly an individual can transition from recreational use to a drug addictive lifestyle. The film also addresses the pressing question, “Are legal and illegal drugs equivalent in terms of addiction?” Contrary to popular belief, drug dependence is not at all exclusive to illicit drugs and the “addicts” which confide in them. This is conveyed in the film through the evolution of Sara Goldfarb’s (Ellen Burstyn) character. A widowed mother, who becomes physiologically consumed on diet pills in hopes to be in peak condition when appearing on a game show. This molds another compelling topic: to what degree do drugs alter an individual’s physical
Illegal drug use is one of the most common problems that affect Americans every day. Joyce B. Shannon (2010) found that, “More than 35 million individuals used illicit drugs or abused prescription drugs in 2007” (p. 11). The impact can be seen in communities of all types, and people with low and high income levels. Drug use is at the root of many problems with our society. Joyce B. Shannon (2010) referenced a survey from 2004 that states, “32% of state prisoners and 26% of federal prisoners” admitted that they were currently serving jail time for offences committed while they were, “under the influence of drugs” (p. 102). The reasoning behind this issue will be explained from a psychological, sociological, and an anthropological perspective including the benefit of an interdisciplinary perspective to grasp the cause of drug use and it’s affect on society.