The Sociology of American Drug Use

by Faupel, Charles E.; Horowitz, Alan M.; Weaver, Greg S.

• ISBN13: 9780195375282
• ISBN10: 0195375289
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-08-17
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

This book is intended for the drug course taught out of sociology and/or criminology/criminal justice departments. The course can be quite large and taught at the sophomore or junior level. The book may also be deemed appropriate in lower division courses, or for a lower-division graduatecourse, depending on the institution in which it is used. Most texts that are written in the area of drug use are written either from a counseling/psychology perspective or from a physiology/pharmacology point of view, and do not attempt to deal extensively with the social context of drug use inAmerican society. This text provides a broader sociological perspective on drug use than any other text currently on the market, and has an extensive section on methods and statistics for measuring drug use (important in particular for sociology students). The authors also comprehensively addressthe critical substantive and policy issues in the field.

Table of Contents

Each chapter ends with a summary.

Preface

A Sociological Approach To Drug Use

The Sociological Study of Drug Use

A Sociological Approach to Studying Drug Use

Sociology and the Classification of Drugs

Understanding Social Concern about the ""Drug Problem""

Summary: Sociologists on American Drug Use

A Brief History of Drug Use and Drug Control in America

Drugs Through the Ages

Nineteenth-Century America: A ""Dope Fiend's Paradise""

The Twentieth Century: Age of Legal Repression and Experimentation

Classifying Psychoactive Drugs

Narcotics

Depressants

Stimulants

Hallucinogens

Marijuana

Other Mood- and Performance-Enhancing Drugs

Official and Unofficial Data Sources

Some Important Terms

Official Drug Use Statistics

Unofficial Drug Use Statistics

Theoretical Explanations for Drug Use and Addiction

Nature Theories

Biological Theories

Psychological Theories

Sociological Theories

SOCIAL CORRELATES OF DRUG USE

Demographic Correlates of Drug Use

Sex and Gender Correlates of Drug Use

Racial and Ethnic Correlates of Drug Use

Age Correlates of Drug Use

Social Class Correlates of Drug Use

Institutional Correlates of Drug Use

Drug Use among Medical Professionals

Drug Use in the Military

Drug Use in Law Enforcement

Drug Use and Religion

Drug Use and Sports

Health Correlates of Drug Use

Negative Health Consequences of Drug Use

Potential Health Benefits of Drugs

Economic Correlates of Drug Use

An Economic Cost-Benefit Analysis of Illicit Drugs

The Underground Economy of Illicit Drugs

Drugs in the Workplace

Cultural and Subcultural Correlates of Drug Use

What are Subcultures?

Three Subcultures of Drug Use

Drug-Using Careers

Violent and Criminal Correlates of Drug Use

Historical Understanding Drug Use, Crime, and Violence

Theoretical Understanding Drug Use, Crime, and Violence

Empirical Understanding Drug Use, Crime, and Violence

Drug Use, Crime, and Victimization

SOCIETAL RESPONSE TO DRUG USE

Legal Responses to Drug Problems: Prohibition, Legalization, and Decriminalization

The Importance of Policy in Understanding Drug Use in America

Prohibition

Legalization

Decriminalization

Harm Reduction: An Alternative Framework for Drug Policy

Therapeutic Responses to Drug Problems: Drug Treatment

History of Treatment for Drug Addiction

Major Treatment Modalities

Effectiveness of Drug Treatment

Contemporary Issues in Treatment

Preventive Responses to Drug Problems: Drug Education and Drug Testing

Drug Education

Drug Testing

Drug Policy for the Twenty-First Century

Our Guiding Philosophy

Supply-Side Policies and Demand-Side Policies

Specific Issues and Recommendations

Glossary

Bibliography

Index

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.