Form of Deviance Drug abuse has been around for a very long time. "Efforts to fight drug use in America date back just as far as the drug use itself—which is to say, to the earliest days of European settlement in the country. Every single drug ever to achieve widespread use in America—from caffeine to crack—has been subjected, at one time or another, to attempts at serious government restriction" (Schmoop Editorial Team , 2008). Individual's that abuse drugs are considered deviant because they don't follow the social norms of society. Drug abusers would be considered non-conformist, people that don't follow the rules. They engage in activities that are considered illegal. The objective condition for drug abuse must be perceived as
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It is about inequality in society. "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"(Ehow). The lower class would be considered more deviant because according to society they would more likely use …show more content…
Merton states his " model focuses on two dimensions of social life. The first, the cultural component, defines, and instills in the populace, conventional goals and values. The second, the social structure, provides the socially acceptable means for realizing these goals. Conformity to dominant values becomes dysfunctional, however, when the social structure fails to deliver what the cultural structure promises: ample means for acting on internalized beliefs and values" ( American Psychological Assoc). Opportunity is really not available to everyone, it was not equal. It was based on your status which included sex, age, occupation, education and religion. There is a difference between socially approved goals and access to their legitimate attainment. So, an individual might feel failure when not achieving these goals and turn to deviant behavior like drug
It is about inequality in society. "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"(Ehow). The lower class would be considered more deviant because according to society they would more likely use …show more content…
Merton states his " model focuses on two dimensions of social life. The first, the cultural component, defines, and instills in the populace, conventional goals and values. The second, the social structure, provides the socially acceptable means for realizing these goals. Conformity to dominant values becomes dysfunctional, however, when the social structure fails to deliver what the cultural structure promises: ample means for acting on internalized beliefs and values" ( American Psychological Assoc). Opportunity is really not available to everyone, it was not equal. It was based on your status which included sex, age, occupation, education and religion. There is a difference between socially approved goals and access to their legitimate attainment. So, an individual might feel failure when not achieving these goals and turn to deviant behavior like drug