Tensions and conflicts arise when resources, status, and power are unevenly distributed between groups in society and that these conflicts become the engine for social change. A conflict theorist sees tobacco as a product that has been around forever and most likely will be around for much longer. Tobacco has been in our culture since human beings discovered it and manipulated it into many forms. The definition of cultural capital is forms of knowledge, skills, education and advantages that a person has, which give them a higher status in society. Parents provide their children with a cultural capital by transmitting the attitudes and knowledge needed to succeed in the current education system. For tobacco, this translates as young people or adults try smoking tobacco at a young age are more easily to get hooked on it than trying it when they are older. The inequalities of smoking tobacco is by race-ethnicity, age, gender, and education. The breakdown of race and ethnicity shows the highest rate of smoking is American Indians/ Alaska Natives and white Americans (Kendall 2013). The U.S age population shows that thousands of young people begin smoking every day. Economic and political power makes the sale and use of tobacco abused by people such as the poor and those who are dependent on this habit. Conflict theorist also point out that powerful corporate interests perpetuate the use and abuse of this product. Corporations that manufacture, market, and sell tobacco reap huge profits that exact a heavy toll on the personal health and well-being on their customers (Tobacco21). Members of congress who control most tobacco related regulations typically receive large funding towards campaign contributions from political action committees funded by the tobacco industry. In this context, power over tobacco can be understood as control of material
Tensions and conflicts arise when resources, status, and power are unevenly distributed between groups in society and that these conflicts become the engine for social change. A conflict theorist sees tobacco as a product that has been around forever and most likely will be around for much longer. Tobacco has been in our culture since human beings discovered it and manipulated it into many forms. The definition of cultural capital is forms of knowledge, skills, education and advantages that a person has, which give them a higher status in society. Parents provide their children with a cultural capital by transmitting the attitudes and knowledge needed to succeed in the current education system. For tobacco, this translates as young people or adults try smoking tobacco at a young age are more easily to get hooked on it than trying it when they are older. The inequalities of smoking tobacco is by race-ethnicity, age, gender, and education. The breakdown of race and ethnicity shows the highest rate of smoking is American Indians/ Alaska Natives and white Americans (Kendall 2013). The U.S age population shows that thousands of young people begin smoking every day. Economic and political power makes the sale and use of tobacco abused by people such as the poor and those who are dependent on this habit. Conflict theorist also point out that powerful corporate interests perpetuate the use and abuse of this product. Corporations that manufacture, market, and sell tobacco reap huge profits that exact a heavy toll on the personal health and well-being on their customers (Tobacco21). Members of congress who control most tobacco related regulations typically receive large funding towards campaign contributions from political action committees funded by the tobacco industry. In this context, power over tobacco can be understood as control of material