Objective Approach

Objectivist way of approach addresses further logical reasoning, compared to subjectivist sense of defining and identifying social problems claims that “issues become problems once society sees or decides they are harmful” (Lecture: “Defining Social Problems”). Objective method seeks a link between certain social problems, like in the lecture, it gives an example of health and obesity. Critics argue that people with obesity is harming condition as they cost society millions of dollars in health care expenditures (Best 6 ). Moreover, the steps to this approach is to define, spot and “identify it as a social problem” (4). Similar to the example given in the lecture slide, I had came upon an example of the relationship between mental illness
and incarceration; which leads to drugs and homelessness. Yet, many people in society argued that homelessness is due to laziness and criminals subjected to mental institution is the way to escape death rows for the crimes they had committed. This perspective is clearly the approach of the subjectivist. Nevertheless, in the PBS documentary film, “The Released,” Lem Moore, an African-American male in his late forties was was sentenced to eight months for breaking and entering a private property.
Lem had continuous delusional thoughts of Bin Laden, planning to bomb his town Canton, Ohio, and was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenic. Moreover, in the film, Dr. Michael Unger mentions that when people with mental illnesses are released out of prison, they are only given one to two weeks of medications for their specific conditions. They are told upon release to follow-up with their primary physician or medical health agencies. They are assumed to have the proper judgment to continue their medications and having “the cognitive capacity to be proactive with phone calls, making appointments, and discussing how many days their medications they have left” (PBS). In reality, they cannot take care of themselves, moreover, without the proper prescribed medications. Majority of them, like Lem, are homeless living in shelters or on the streets. No money nor a health insurance to continue seeing a doctor or receiving medications they need. Here, a objectivist would see that there is indeed a fact of evidence of linked between mental illness, drugs, incarceration and
homelessness.

I was aware, from a previous class I had taken in abnormal psychology, for centuries high concentrated opium was used most widely as medicines, as explained in the book called Abnormal Psychology by Charles A Lyons and Barclay Martin (339).
As Ethan Nadelmann states in his speech, “Why we need to end the War on Drugs,” “...the late 19th century when most of the drugs that are now illegal were legal, the principle consumers of opiates in my country and others were middle-aged white women, using them to alleviate aches and pains” (Ted Talks). Nevertheless, Nadelmann asserted some drugs became illegal due to “racist fears,” as he mentioned three examples in United States history. He had a theory as he began explaining an example of Chinese migrant who came the U.S. to work on railroads, used a drug called opium. The Chinese usage of this narcotics had led to the first drug to be outlawed and this prompted the “racist fears” of white women who are addicted to opium become sex slaves. Second example was given as he exclaimed the first law into prohibiting cocaine due to the “racist fears” of black men “...forgetting their proper place in southern society” (“Why we need to end the War on Drugs”). Lastly, the first marijuana prohibition laws were taken place with the “racist fears” of Mexicans. Furthermore, do I agree with this explanation? Yes and no. To all respect, thinking back to Introduction to United States History class I had taken in Spring of 2015, Americans
have the tendency to think ethnocentrically- the belief that one’s culture is superior than all others (Kanel and Mallers, 8). Why is that? Possibly, because Americans are patriotic and extremely prideful, their love for his or her nation is extremely powerful. Adding to this, they are also passionate and not afraid to express how they feel, like today’s political controversies; perhaps this is why Americans are viewed as ethnocentric. On contrary, going back to the book, Abnormal Psychology, it had mentioned that prescribed opioid, cocaine, and heroin are responsible for deaths from overdoses (339). From my own personal experience, drugs that are now illegal is meant to be restricted to use because of what it does physically, emotionally and mentally to the abuser. Body deterioration (change in physical appearance), emotionally and mentally unstable to go about doing ordinary daily tasks. Once the effects of the drug has faded, to relieve his temper outbursts, my son’s father used to constantly use me as a punching bag. People who are addicted to illegal drugs, not only do they harms others but at times they harm oneself. This is why I believe certain drugs have become criminalize and illegal overtime.