Introduction
The war on drugs has been going on for many years. Drugs were never the target of this war, but racism was. Today, in the modern era of the drug war, it is not just a war on race, but also a war on the lower-social class societies. This essay will briefly give examples of the history in which some of the first laws against drugs were enacted and show the conflicting racial and social class issues that are raised as well as a sociological functional perspective.
Class Conflict and Racial Conflict
The modern era of the war on drugs seems to target not only minorities but also white lower-class citizens as well. The gap between the rich and poor is not getting smaller, but rather becoming larger. Many lower-class individuals want …show more content…
Drugs contribute to the economy in numerous ways. Prisoners within the correctional departments help the private institutions with financial gain by producing products for around twenty-five cents an hour. These prisoners are capitalist slaves; they do rigorous work at minimum costs for companies that make immense profits off of these products. Another contributing factor of the drug war is the jobs it creates: police officers, judges, correctional officers, drug testing companies, etc. Robert Merton’s theory of structural function is seen within these institutions, the institutions serve a purpose of keeping offenders out of the public and in return the offenders do labor for business and are paid a subsistent wage. The institutional workers (the quasi group) all fulfill their roles in society by performing the tasks and maintenance required within these institutions. The main purpose for the continuance of the drug war is the economic gain within society.
Conclusion
The war on drugs has been going on for years, it may have started out racially directed but in the modern era it has shifted to target both racial minorities and the lower-class in society. This war has created social class conflict as well as racial conflict and these conflicts will continue well into the future, unless institutions are stopped from making a financial
The war on drugs has been going on for many years. Drugs were never the target of this war, but racism was. Today, in the modern era of the drug war, it is not just a war on race, but also a war on the lower-social class societies. This essay will briefly give examples of the history in which some of the first laws against drugs were enacted and show the conflicting racial and social class issues that are raised as well as a sociological functional perspective.
Class Conflict and Racial Conflict
The modern era of the war on drugs seems to target not only minorities but also white lower-class citizens as well. The gap between the rich and poor is not getting smaller, but rather becoming larger. Many lower-class individuals want …show more content…
Drugs contribute to the economy in numerous ways. Prisoners within the correctional departments help the private institutions with financial gain by producing products for around twenty-five cents an hour. These prisoners are capitalist slaves; they do rigorous work at minimum costs for companies that make immense profits off of these products. Another contributing factor of the drug war is the jobs it creates: police officers, judges, correctional officers, drug testing companies, etc. Robert Merton’s theory of structural function is seen within these institutions, the institutions serve a purpose of keeping offenders out of the public and in return the offenders do labor for business and are paid a subsistent wage. The institutional workers (the quasi group) all fulfill their roles in society by performing the tasks and maintenance required within these institutions. The main purpose for the continuance of the drug war is the economic gain within society.
Conclusion
The war on drugs has been going on for years, it may have started out racially directed but in the modern era it has shifted to target both racial minorities and the lower-class in society. This war has created social class conflict as well as racial conflict and these conflicts will continue well into the future, unless institutions are stopped from making a financial