Alcohol and Other Drugs - Essay Example

Symbolic interactionists contend that society is possible because human beings have the ability to communicate with one another by means of symbols. They say that human beings act toward people, objects and events on the basis of the meanings being imparted to them. In structural functionalist, perspective sees society as a system. Functionalists identify the structural characteristics and functions and dysfunctions of institutions, and distinguish between manifest and latent functions. Functionalists also typically assume that most members of the society share a consensus regarding their core beliefs and values.

On the other hand, conflict theory argues that the structure of society and the nature of social relationships are the result of past and ongoing conflicts (Hughes 2). The premise of symbolic interaction is that humans use symbols to understand and interact properly with natural and social world. Symbolic interactionism is a theory of social cognition, which models human interaction among significant concepts like identity, language, meaning, labeling and roles. Humans base their interpretation or reaction to symbols on social interaction with others (Victor).

In relation to the theory, alcohol and other drugs are the symbols used as a language to exchange meanings and interactions, thus creating social relationships. People use alcohol and other drugs as a symbol wherein they can share common feelings towards one another and it can be a feeling of joy or sadness. These symbols are viewed as either favorable or unfavorable in the society. Nowadays, alcohol and other drugs are viewed as favorable because majority of the members of the society indulges to the effects of these symbols whether it is therapeutic or not. A.R.

Radcliffe-Brown, a British social anthropologist, as cited in “social structure,” gave the concept of social structure a central place in his approach and connected it to the concept of function. In his view, the components of the social structure have indispensable functions for one another—the continued existence of the one component is dependent on that of the others—and for the society as a whole, which is seen as an integrated, organic entity. His comparative studies of preliterate societies demonstrated that the interdependence of institutions regulated much of social and individual life.

Radcliffe-Brown defined social structure empirically as patterned, or “normal,” social relations. These rules bind society’s members to socially useful activities. In contemporary times, the consensus of the majority in view of alcohol and drugs are illegal and deviant to the society because of its effects when it is abused. An individual is thought to be a product of inter-related social functions including the family, church, school, etc and all these believe in the dreadful effects of alcohol and drugs to every human being who abuses the use of it.

The stated social functions then are expected to contribute in building and forming an individual towards a life accepted by the society and within the norms of society and this does not include the use and