Drug Dealing and Marginalization - Assignment Example

Drug Dealing and Marginalization This study as examined here has been based upon ethnographic fieldwork and interviews with a class of people who are not only ethnic minority but also cannabis dealers at a street drug market in Oslo, Norway. The study aimed to find out why people engaged in drug dealing and what is it about ethnic minorities that could propel them towards drug dealing and what are the reasons for which particular groups are more vulnerable to use of drugs. This study was undertaken to understand why drug dealing happens, what main factors encourage drug dealing, and whether such behavior would be more prevalent in certain groups rather than certain others. Three types of socio-biographies of the dealers are presented illustrating three groups of dealers, and three trajectories to street drug dealing could be presented. The study could be summarized considering the goals and objectives as also possible directions of drug dealing. According to the authors, the three trajectories would be associated with the following: 1. The first trajectory emerges from causes such as - migration and early experiences in war-inflicted countries. The second emerges from an increasing drug habit and early socialization in established criminal networks and this is more of a personal trait than the first trajectory which is about social environment, and the third from an alternative search for identity and this is a psychological reason. Some of the concepts studied here would be theoretical framework and the embodied character of cultural knowledge, the importance of early socialization, and the practical reasoning or other reasons which are involved when young people start dealing illegal drugs. It is of course, worthwhile to examine how the study was conducted, what were the theoretical bases, how was new information or data collected and how the study contributed to knowledge and understanding as also what was the research agenda and how it was followed. This research paper contributes to policy and practice in the areas of migration and drugs, drugs in younger people and the causes of drug dealing among ethnic minority. Such studies are useful from a sociological viewpoint to understand trends among the youth and ethnic minority as also the causes of antisocial activities within a community. Drug dealing and the culture of young people involved in antisocial activity could be understood with a sort of theoretical explanation and the theoretical framework and methodology is examined further by considering how the study was conducted and what theories were followed or formed the basis of the research. For the theoretical framework on which this research has been based, the study highlights how illegal drug users and dealers have often been described as passive and irrational victims of their surrounding (Driscoll 2000; O’Connell-Davidson 2005) However ethnographic studies of street culture and drug dealers suggest a different story. Drug dealers require competence, skills and even rationality to manage drug dealing, use and all other criminal activities involved. Street culture is also seen as a resistance to marginalization from mainstream society (e.g. Whyte 1943; Anderson 1999; Vigil 2002 ; Bourgois 2003 ; Lalander 2005 ; Moshuus 2005 ). Ethnic minorities may feel highly marginalized and to overcome this feeling of isolation they actively participate in the street culture which results in rogue and criminal behavior and practices of drug dealing. According to the study, the most effective and relevant theoretical framework would be the conceptualization of behavior as ‘street wise ’ and knowing ‘ the code of the street ’.( Anderson 1990 ; 1999), although this has not been adequately developed (Wacquant 2002 ; Topalli 2005 ; Jimerson and Oware 2006 ; Sandberg 2008 ).The analysis has however suggested utilizing the concept street capital (see also Lankenau et al. 2005 ; Sandberg 2008 ; Sandberg and Pedersen 2009 ) which is just another version of Pierre Bourdieu’s theoretical framework of ‘ concrete social analysis ’. Street culture studies were also carried out by (Thompson 1991). The methodology and data for the analysis emphasized on qualitative fieldwork and interviews and repeated fieldwork had to be done to understand the concept better and also to interview the drug dealers. During the fieldwork, it was necessary to speak with people in the neighborhood some of whom belonged to the same ethnic community and participants were asked to participate in in-depth interviews. In total, 20 dealers, in the age range 17 – 30, were interviewed. All had experience from, or were currently, selling cannabis on the open street market. The interviews lasted between one and a half to two hours and were semi structured, conducted informally and done on the spot or at cafes, pubs or dealers’ apartments. They were documented as ‘life stories’ ( Bertaux 1981 ; Plummer 1983). Many dealers were interviewed only once, while many others were interviewed up to three times. Since the interviews were informal, participants could speak as they liked. Was the theoretical framework that formed the basis of the study suitable for the study, and was the methodology appropriate? These are obviously some of the other questions that are taken up during the study and research of the project. This could be answered by determining whether the methodology was the most appropriate for this sort of research and if so, why was the method chosen and how many or what types of other choices were available as method and how this method of interviewing was finally thought to be the best method for this sort of research? The key concepts and definitions in this cases revolved around identifying drug dealers and drug dealing, relationship with ethnic minority status and certain personality traits among young people of certain fringe communities. The population chosen for data was the cannabis / drug dealers of Norway although all of them were from the ethnic minority community and followed street culture rather than any specific cultural tradition. The researcher seems to have the role of an observer but more of a participant observer and the participants were chosen randomly although within specific age range from the local ethnic community of minorities in an area where drug dealing is rampant. The participants were from the local community members but young people actively involved in the street culture of drug use and criminal activity. Some of the legal issues could relate to confidentiality as many participants were concerned that if their identities were disclosed this could lead to police investigation on the nature of their activities. Thus confidentiality of private information was a major concern and priority and also disclosing the purposes of the research could have harmed the research agenda and created an obstacle so even that was kept confidential. The validity and reliability of the research methods used remain a question yet the research focused on life stories of certain individuals who have been into drug dealing and who entered drug dealing due to various reasons and one of them could be social isolation and frustration and a need to release frustration through antisocial activity. The case studies of some of the young people who have been actively using and selling drugs tell a lot about street culture and crime and the reasons may not be completely cultural or ethnic and may be purely social and psychological. Qualitative research analysis was one of the methods with which the data were analyzed qualitatively and each question was broken down to parts to determine the significance of the responses and its role in the study. The data were thus analyzed with qualitative rather than quantitative approach and it could be said that the data analysis method and the research method in general were appropriate and adequately tackled the research question and agenda. The theoretical questions in the study emphasized on a cultural and ethnic viewpoint although a stronger social and psychological emphasis could have been more appropriate. The study itself began with a cultural emphasis which later turned to a more sociological study. According to the authors, the conclusions were based on the issues that were determined from the study. Drug dealing has been seen within a specific social context. The study suggests that street culture emerges as a response to marginalization processes in mainstream society which the ethnic minority may often face. The authors also suggest that the marginalization processes continue to reinforce, the social and economic exclusion of a class or community of young people. 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