Lee D. Hoffer’s “Junkie Business: The Evolution and Operation of a Heroin Dealing Network” is an ethnography that details the buying and dealing of the highly addictive drug, heroin, in the particularly homeless area of Denver, Colorado called “Larimer” from 1995 to the year 2000. The majority of the book focuses on the partnership of two heroin dealers, Kurt and Danny, and examines their daily lifestyles and the transitional periods they faced during their operations. On a much broader level, Hoffer wanted to characterize the heroin dealing occurring on the consumer-oriented side of the heroin dealing business, as well as understand the evolution of Kurt and Danny’s operations. Hoffer’s virtually unlimited access to Denver’s heroin operations and the friendships he formed with Kurt and Danny were unprecedented in the world of ethnographic research on illegal drug dealing. As a result, Hoffer was able to better understand the deep-rooted social aspects involved in the dealer-customer relationship.…
I faced a task of reviewing “American Gangster” a movie based on a true story about an African American gangster Frank Lucas and his lives endeavors with his day-to-day drug operation in Harlem New York in the late 60s. The movie is also a record of his family as well as others that suffered from the many types of psychological disorders. The psychological disorders that will be reviewed in this paper pertaining to the characters and how they are influenced by their environment. How they are influenced by the powers of Frank Lucas and not even realizing that they’ve falling to his powers. How the nature in which they are cared for affected them as well as the effect of the stress, which caused them to result in drugs and alcohol. These are a few behavioral and social culture concepts that will be reviewed in this paper.…
The documentary Fresno - A City Addicted to Crystal Meth, by Louis Theroux addresses the epidemic of crystal methamphetamine addiction that is overwhelming the streets of this low socioeconomic city in California. The diversity Theroux finds in each of his encounters is both fascinating and startling: from a mother who wants nothing more than to get her children back, but can 't seem to break the cycle of using to escape her past mistakes, to siblings that are so deep into addiction their sense of boundary deteriorates to form a twisted sexual relationship amongst kin. Instead of researching Fresno and its struggles with addiction from a distance, Theroux physically places himself deep into this alarming culture where every day life is a battle of choice between a chemical escape from the all too common harsh realities of Fresno and a chance for recovery and a new life.…
Extra credit: SOCI 2201 Name: Lauryn Tonou Sociological analysis of “The House I Live In” The incarceration system in the country has become predicated on economics rather than justice. Drug abuse is not a crime against the society, it is mainly medical as problem. Ethnic and racial prejudice rooted social control in American anti-drug policy. Those are arguments deftly assembled in the documentary by Eugene Jarecki with assistance from David Simon, former crime reporter.…
Thesis: Crack-cocaine is one of the most addictive drugs known to mankind, especially to the African American race and it has affected the black culture in numerous ways like music, gang violence and Media Hysteria…
The phrase “sex, drugs, and rock and roll” held true to its well-earned spot in 1970’s and 1980’s society. With a new, looser culture, explicit music, raunchy and rambunctious movies as well as a societal focus on many things immoral, it was an era of challenging social norms. As the use of recreational and psychoactive drugs, as well as alcohol, increased, a new problem arose; how does law enforcement and the government undo the damage being made by this new society? Laws were passed, bureaus and commissions were formed, and the President of the United States began what he called “The War on Drugs”. Over the years, some of these solutions have proven to make some impact. The initiation, tactics, and attempts at dealing a major blow to drug abuse have all affected the way America sees drugs today. A new type of warfare had made its way into the country, and after all these years, it has made its fair share of positive and negative effects.…
Drugs can often cause a distortion in the addicts reality. For aging former child star, Norma Desmond, the need for recognition led to distortion within her own reality. Norma lives in the past, and feeds off what she was, as well as what she believes she is destined to become. For Norma, the only entertainment she gets, comes…
Rashi K. Shukla’s “Methamphetamine: A Love Story” could be a textbook itself about social problems. Many different concepts discussed in “Social Problems: Community, Policy, and Social Action” can be observed through the lives of only 33 participants from Oklahoma. Each adult described the world of methamphetamine in necessary, but excruciating detail. They told of traumatic childhoods, the impact of the drug on their mental well being, and the burden it had on those closest to them. They also explained how they broke free from its tempting grasp, what type of treatment they received, and how their lives were forever altered by their involvement with methamphetamines.…
Hart is able to connect with readers on the hardships of life and how a single choice can influence your entire life. I originally chose this book to inform myself on drugs in today’s society and what influences the use of them. After reading the book, I was able to understand what causes drug use and how what we learn by the media is somewhat incorrect. This memoir is truly well written and includes a unique way of writing that continuously keeps the reader active and engaged in the…
Drugs have always been a social norm and throughout this essay I intend to look at four texts which portray drug use in different situations with different individuals. The four texts are songs, Deja Vu by Eminem, Chris Dolmeth by Hopsin, Ill Mind of Hopsin 6 by Hopsin and The Girls on Drugs by Wale. I have discovered two distinct connections in these songs, one of the connections is that there are many different reasons as to why people choose to do drugs, and the other connection is the purpose which is that the artists are trying to show us that the outcome of doing drugs will only ever be bad.…
What do we think when we know that the use of illicit drugs in America has been decreasing over the past decade? Should this be a bad thing or a good thing? Generally, people would think this is good and that our nation is certainly progressing as a whole. But to be honest, how is it possible to have this sort of decrease in a free will country such as America. The answer to this is the new era of drugs. Prescription drugs are the reason why the use of illegal drugs such as marihuana, cocaine, heroin, crack and inhalants has decreased in the last decade. Teenagers are finding new ways to get high, unfortunately in a much more dangerous way and as addictive as illegal drugs. As a matter of a fact these drugs can contribute to lifetime health complications. Now, a question you may ask is why do teenagers abuse prescription drugs in America? In this paper, the major reasons of why this is happening will be briefly discussed.…
Substance abuse in the United States has changed over the years, and comes in many forms, such as prescription pills, non-prescription pills, powder cocaine, crack-cocaine, meth, heroin, marijuana, tobacco, and alcohol. Today, there are advertisements sending out messages about how drugs can harm an individual, their families, and their future. There are people who admit to doing drugs, and there are those who do not want to admit doing drugs. Many cultures use drugs for medical reasons or for religious purposes. There are also health and social problems that occur when doing drugs or addicted to drugs.…
Drug addiction and drug abuse. Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6Th Edition [serial on the Internet]. (2013, Sep), [cited April 7, 2014]; 1-4. Available from: EBSCO MegaFILE.…
Cited: University of Phoenix PSY 425. (2010) Levinthal, C. F. (2010). Drugs, Behavior, and Modern Society (6th ed.). Boston: Pearson. Retrieved Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, and 9 October 2010.…
The association of violence with alcohol also increased, but the relationship was not as pronounced as that with drugs, Explanations for the rise of gangster rap and violence in rap music have tended to focus on two basic themes. Representatives from the music and other media industries have argued that media violence is a reflection of actual social trends. Echoing this perspective, some scholars have focused on the structural conditions – oppressive economic and social conditions, the crack cocaine drug trade and ensuing drug war, and high levels of police brutality – within urban ghettos that promote violent themes in rap music. Within this framework, other writers have focused on the violent lifestyles of major rap artists as an explanation for the rising tide of violence in the…