Alcohol and Other Drugs: A Social Dilemma - Essay Example

ALCOHOL AND OTHER DRUGS: A SOCIAL DILEMMA In early ages, alcohol and other drugs are said to be therapeutic and has beenpart of any social and cultural functions. Alcohol serves as an anesthetic agent before time in the practice of medicine and healing and has been present during social events in the early days celebrating happy and thanksgiving events while drugs have been useful and recovering from such illness and prolongs the life of a sick person. But how and when did drugs become illicit and become a social dilemma that instead of prolonging one’s life it causes tragic sudden accident, crime and worst, death? When did alcohol become a symbol of depression, anger and pain? The three main contemporary sociological theories including symbolic interactionism, structural functionalism and conflict theory explains and justifies the dilemmas brought about by alcohol and other drugs nowadays. 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 abuse of alcohol and other drugs. The dilemma exists when one of the social functions fail to play its role in an individual. On conflict theory and alcohol and other drugs, Flamand stated that from the perspective of social conflict theory, substance abuse is primarily a problem of structural inequality and class conflict. While substance abuse is generally omnipresent throughout society, social conflict theory argues that minorities, the lower class and other marginalized groups are more likely to disproportionally suffer negative consequences as a result of substance abuse. Conflict theory posits a model of society whereby different groups pursue their interests independently or against the interests of other groups. These groups compete for resources and power, and over time, some groups come to dominate others. The social order established by these dominant groups then comes to repress minority groups. One way dominant groups do this is through manipulation of the law and the legal process to reinforce the status quo. Even though drug use is common throughout all levels of society, conflict theory points out that marginalized groups in society are more likely to be targeted for substance abuse violations than the dominant class or groups. For instance, it is commonly believed that poor communities and racial minorities suffer from higher numbers of drug use, although some studies have shown that substance abuse is just as prolific in rich, predominantly white communities. Additionally, it is commonly thought that poor and minority youths are more likely to engage in drug dealing as a means of overcoming their economic problems and sense of alienation, thus perpetuating destructive cycles of drug abuse and violence. Works Cited: Hughes, Michael, et al. Sociology: The Core. 17 November 2011. Victor, D. An Overview of Symbolic Interactionism. 31 October 2009. 17 November 2011. “Social Structure.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. 17 November 2011. Flamand, Lee. Substance Abuse and the Conflict Theory. 17 November 2011. Read More