Amber A. 1. Heavy drinking can be a social problem in society, because heavy drinking effects the social institutions of the family and community. Heavy drinking is a social problem because it is persistent in society and causes consequences for individuals in society. This can be socially constructed into a social problem. Herbert Blumer’s Model of Social recognition, social legitimation, mobilization and development of an official plan is used to confirm that heavy drinking is a social problem. For example Donna Dierker tells her story of how she recognized her problem of heavy drinking, how it was legitimized by society as a problem and how she mobilized for action, by joining a moderation management group and then she developed an official plan to help her abstain from drinking. For example a person who continues to drink heavily is more susceptible to anger issues and can inflict domestic violence within their family because of impaired emotions. Another example of why heavy drinking is a social problem, is that copious amounts of alcohol can impair an individuals driving skills and cause car accidents which threaten the social institution of the community, as well as the victims family. 2. An Interactionist would say that heavy drinking as a social problem stems from how individuals interact and how interactions between people shape how people behave, and how people choose to behave impacts society. For example a person who drinks heavily in front of their children, affect their child’s view on alcohol as well as their perception of normality of alcohol drinking. A child who sees their parent drink heavily on a day-to-day basis might view alcohol as a normal coping method and adapt that to their perception of what is a societal norm. From the NPR article, Donna Dierker found herself drinking every weekend with her husband and friend group. The people she interacted with encouraged her heavy drinking and created this perception that drinking alcohol heavily on the weekends was more of a reward for a hard weeks work. Donna’s interactions with her husband and friends normalized heavy drinking and influenced societal norms, creating this idea that after a hard week at work, drinking heavily on the weekends was ok. 3. Personally I think that rewarding yourself with a drink after a hard weeks work is the societal norm and is encouraged by society. I don’t see a problem with having a few drinks on the weekend, as long as you are being responsible in the sense that you don’t inflict harm upon anyone. For example, I agree with having a few drinks on the weekend, as long as you are not getting into a car and putting yourself and others at risk. I would also say that drinking on the weekend should not become a habitual routine, where you achieve the mindset of, Friday, drink, Saturday, drink, and repeat that every weekend. Drinking with moderation is the ideal way to go about drinking. One solution that involves the Interactionist perspective is to drink with a friend who you know won’t encourage heavy drinking. A drink or two, to relax and reward yourself after a long week is acceptable in my opinion, but if you are with a friend who is a competitive drinker, you are more likely to inflict harm upon yourself or others. One solution is to be around people who are mediators and who will remind you when you’re about to exceed the recommended limit. Another idea would be to have a friend text you at a certain time during the night of drinking to help remind you not to exceed your limit.
Lindsey E. 1. Substance abuse is a social problem because the person drinking does not realize they are not only harming themselves but everyone around them. A habitual drinker will always make an excuse to drink their feelings away, whether they choose to or not. He doesn’t sit and think of the consequences of his actions, he just drinks to drink. Generally habitual drinkers often lead their friends or relatives to picking up the habit of drinking as more of an everyday thing than just a casual encounter. Unfortunately, the problem of influential drinking occurs quite frequently throughout our society. Alcoholism usually begins at an early age so by the time these kids reach maturity certain stages of health failure begin to arise. Donna Dierker explained that she had a problem with consuming alcohol on a daily basis, she would drink from Friday all the way through Sunday. She said it was her reward for battling a long week at work. Come Sunday she’d feel terrible due to the excessive amount of alcoholic beverages she was taking in. Dierker realized her health was beginning to take a turn for the worst, she began to see changes in her weight and decided it was time to do something. She then began to attend to AA meetings but didn’t find them helpful, she then found a solution to moderate her consumption of alcohol. The solution used was the Moderation Management concept. This concept helped many control their urges to drink, some found it to be more useful than Alcoholics Anonymous. 2. A functionalist would see alcohol abuse as breaking the norm thus stating that it is a problem in our society. Functionalists believe that being an alcoholic causes more structural damage to a society as a whole than as an individual, in other words saying if you aren’t following the rules you’re seen as a deviant in the eyes of the society. Emile Durkheim’s concept of anomie comes into play when the norm has been broken. Anomie is then sees as the person or people being neglectful of the “guidelines” that our society has laid upon us. 3. My thoughts on this topic are both negative and positive. I do believe that a person can set limits to how much they want to drink but I also believe that a person will do as they please, so if he or she truly believes that they can manage their drinking without having to count, they will decide to do it. You are the only that can make it happen, no one else will be walking you through your decisions. Example for positive: I can have a glass of wine tonight to help prevent heart disease. Example for negative: Maybe if I drink the whole bottle of wine tonight I will help prevent heart disease and I won’t have to worry about heart disease because I can just drink a whole bottle again tomorrow night. Truly I would like to stay positive and believe that a person can stay sober for the rest of their life but through the hardships that I’ve experienced I sadly do not believe that one can stay sober for a long period of time. Perhaps it was the persons lack of self esteem that turned them back to abusing alcohol. Binge drinking is usually the answer for me, that is what I say is the problem and what I believe.
1. Substance abuse is a social problem because drinking can lead to addiction and in some extreme cases can even lead to death. The abuser can not only be a danger to themselves but as well as to their community, their friends, and their families. They are so consumed by drinking that they do not even realize what is going on or who they are affecting. This is also a social problem because alcohol abuse begins with social drinking or having a drink here and there. Donna Dierker talks about how society accepts social drinking and how it has become a social norm. Dierker also talks about how she would reward herself at the end of the week with a drink. For an alcohol abuser this is where it would start because of the acceptance and normalness until the alcohol consumes them and they can no longer control their addiction. 2. An interactionalist would say that alcohol abuse comes from the individual perspective on life and how they choose to accept it. For example if a teenager sees his friends drinking and they tell him it’s okay everyone is doing it than he can be pressured into it by peer pressure. Donna Dierker also says she perceived socially drinking to be a social norm because everyone was doing it so she did it as well. 3. I believe that having a drink or two can be okay as long as you are able to control yourself and are responsible enough to do so. Alcohol has become such a problem in our society from being a danger to the community to drinking and driving therefore I think it needs to be more controlled. I also think people need to be more aware of the consequences of alcohol abuse. I also think that there should be more support groups like Donna Dierkers group Moderation Management to help moderate drinking.
1) The problem presented in this article is targeted towards heavy drinkers or alcoholics. There are a numerous amount of reasons as to why this specific problem is harmful to society, one being not only are they hurting themselves but people around them such as family or loved ones. Many heavy drinkers loose their family or work due to the dependency they have on the bottle. Many others lose their own lives or take lives from others when they decide to drink and get behind the wheel. It is shown that heavy drinkers don’t always have to result to the AA, because sometimes its just not the best fit for them. A good example comes from Donna Dierker who realized she had a drinking problem as soon as Friday hit. She would drink both Friday and Saturday heavily until Sunday came around where she felt horrible due to the amount she had consumed the previous days. She decided to join a moderation management group, where instead of cutting all the alcohol out of her, she learned to moderate it. This still allowed her to drink a little and enjoy her days out with friends but taught her to control her drinking. 2) A functionalist would have to say that without the problems of heavy drinking and alcoholism, there wouldn’t be any jobs or organizations that are used for rehabilitation of these people. All of society works together to make a whole. Without this problem there would be a lack of jobs for the rest. With any problem theirs usually a job for someone that knows how to fix it. 3) I personally think that this way of Moderation Management group is great. Not everyone recovers from alcoholism the same way, this offers a different way in order for people to seek for help. Many people associate the AA meetings as something depressing and often in the media they see that it’s relatively easy to relapse. The completely cutting off of alcohol for a person can be extremely difficult, this way of moderation helps people control their alcohol, but still enjoy it at a very minimal way. Anything that helps a person recover from either alchol or drugs is exceptionally good.
After reading the article Rethinking Alcohol: Can Heavy Drinkers Learn To Cut Back? The social problem is the consumption of alcohol and how “drinking moderately” can sometimes be confused with actual dependency or lead up to it. The biggest issue here is that many drinkers believe that their drinking is what is expected of them (i.e. socially with family or friends) and therefore within the “norm” and not an actual problem. This though can easily lead to alcoholism which unfortunately causes the drinker to think that drinking excessively is not a problem and if it is; it only affects he or she not everyone around them. This is absolutely false because any addiction can cause damage to that person’s family (public or private) because the person who has the addiction will always place their “needs” above everyone else’s. This conduct can easily be rubbed off on other family members (young children, teenagers etc.) thus having them believe that it’s okay to drink heavy amounts of alcohol and causing a never ending cycle. This relates most to the interactionist perspective because interactionists focus on how we use and interpret the symbols we receive in our everyday lives to communicate with each other and create our own idea of who we are. So if you’re surrounded by people who drink alcohol on a daily basis this is going to become your “norm” and you’re going to get the idea that drinking is something that should be done regularly if not daily. This explains why Donna Dierker (in the article) drank the most alcohol around her friends; since they all drank she of course was “expected” to partake in the social norm.
A conflict theorist would say that a person drinking heavily is caused by the power struggle that exists within that person and the social systems that are in place (whether through social class, money, gender, race or ethnicity). Someone who finds himself constantly drinking alcohol is struggling to attain the possible resources or rewards that stem from competition and unfortunately result in inequality in the categories listed above. Because of this a person may find themselves in a state of “conflict” (because of depression or anger) and therefore using alcohol as their way to deal with everything that is going on. Drinking if anything is a coping mechanism that is used in times of serious distress and can only change (or stop altogether) when the person is no longer dealing with the repercussions of stratification.
After reading this article I find myself very grateful that I’m not someone who enjoys alcohol very much. I occasionally like to drink with friends or at family gatherings but I’d much rather not drink at all. I find that with alcohol most people often find themselves in a “slippery-slope” type position and that’s one I’d rather not be in. I empathize though because for some people it’s simply all they have ever known throughout their whole lives and that can be something very difficult to remove yourself from. I personally chose this topic because I know someone who is battling alcoholism and I see the struggle they go through every day to get better. I think one solution to this problem would be to use the word “moderation” very carefully when discussing the consumption of alcohol. You can drink “moderately” and still find yourself dependent on alcohol so it’s important to be careful. A person should talk to their doctor and see how their “moderation” compares to the amount of alcohol that is recommended for consenting adults. This is needed because I can guarantee that people will be surprised as to how much they’re actually drinking and they will rethink the amount they consume. I also think this will help because the article discussed how a patient just talking to their PCP can reduce drinking by twenty-five percent.
1. I agree with Destiny with the fact that Alcohol can lead to addiction, but then again anything can lead to addiction. Alcohol isn’t really the social problem. The social problem is that there isn’t enough guidance for consumers in society about alcohol consumption and alcoholism because people drink and they do not know how much is too much. I chose to comment on this peer’s entry because I believe that she did not understand what the blog was about. From my understanding she summarized the blog of it being about the effects and dangers of consuming alcohol instead of discussing that the blog was about alcohol consumers cutting back on the number of drinks they intake on a daily basis. 2. From a Functionalist perspective, Alcohol consumption can be benefiting to society since it can be purchased anywhere, therefore generating a great amount of money and employment. In the case of alcoholism a functionalist would say that alcoholism would guide alcoholics out of college opportunities and guide them in search of other types of jobs that need to get done for the benefit of society. 3. The proposed solution that Destiny gave was to have more control by creating more support groups. I believe that this would be a good solution but I also think that another good solution is to inform people about the use of excessive drinking. Not only by naming the consequences such as DUI’s , but to educated people on how much is too much drinks per day by announcing it on T.V commercials, social media, the radio, and magazines.
Linda N. In response to Lindsey E. 1. I agree with her responses about how alcohol abuse is a social problem and how people do not realize it is harming them until it leads to health issues and many other aspects of our personal lives—just like in the case with Donna Dierker. What stood out to me about what Lindsey wrote was how the power of influence drinking has and occurrence happens frequently throughout society and brought up a point about how alcoholism happens for people when they are exposed to it at an early age. If they do not deal with it later on in an early age, it will crept up and reach them in adulthood and health problems will arise. I chose to comment on her entry because alcoholism is a broad social issue and we see it being abused in our society. The media portray it well (alcoholism), our observation within our friends, family, etc. Alcoholism can affect our socioeconomic status (SES), health, social unit of family (where it can lead to domestic violence), work, etc.
2. An interactionist would see alcohol abuse a social problem because alcoholism is a learned behavior. In other words, alcohol abuse is learned through interaction with others. Interactionist sees society’s reaction to alcohol abuse, in which that individuals are more to be labeled as alcoholic than others. Specific groups are targeted alcoholic because of their frequent intakes of alcohol or their own recognized subjective perception of intakes of alcoholism. Social problems are critical and real when they are subjectively defined as problematic. Social constructionism comes into play when recognizing the subjective social problems of alcoholism helps us to understand how its condition is defined as a social problem.
3. I think her proposed solution is realistic. The solution to alleviate the problem would be up to the individual. As mentioned in the NPR report, there is not enough data that a certain person will go back to drinking. It is controversial. Moderation technique can help some people; however, there are many kinds of drinkers and people that there is no way to tell or know to control drinking issues. Just because moderation management has worked for Donna Dierker, it does not mean that it is going to work for other people. Individuals who wish to get help would have to make that step and commitment in limiting their intakes of alcohol by means of their will. My proposed solution would be for the moderation management program that provides comprehensive services that accommodates people with this issue. The program might possibly works for some people. Aforementioned in the NPR, it is a process of what is going to work for them.
Akhiles P. In Response To Amber A. 1.) I agreed with Amber's response to alcoholism or heavy drinking as an example of one substance abuse and how it is truly deemed to be a social problem due to the fact that those who drink regularly tend to become overly obsessed with drinking and become dysfunctional around their own family and around others in society. An alcoholic tends to lose touch of reality, by all means being disconnect therefore being out of control and dysfunctional to society. The idea displayed here that alcoholism can be caused by individual peer pressure and negatively influential to those around the alcoholic were some good points she made. I personally believe that substance use and abuse can definitely alter society in a negative way. I believe if people were to strive in all aspects of society and function with balance, it would be done with a sober mind and great focus and not with a mind that is clouded with drugs and chemicals due to substance abuse. I truly believe any type of substance abuse can throw people of their tracks and cause immense amount of dysfunction in their personal lives and in society, people tend to: rob stores for money because they aren't able to buy substances/drugs, they beat their loved ones out of stress and withdrawal, and slowly lose their identity and become something they are not.
2.) A functionalist would add that substance use and abuse is a dysfunction in society because people lose touch of reality and are in a state of disarray, not being able to focus and benefit from what life has to offer. A functionalist would also add that substance abuse would tear up families, those who have problems with addiction tend to release their stresses out on their loved ones and tend to lose themselves in a substance, always thriving for that specific feeling a drug provides them or that "high". According to functionalists "organs " of society must work together with no internal problems in order to be considered being functional and successful, and substance abuse is a big problem that stand against everything a functionalist believes in.
3.) I think their proposed solution for avoiding substance use and abuse is looked at from an interactionalist standpoint and I also believe it would be a great solution to solve the problem. To surround oneself with loves ones, to be reminded not to do drugs and have moral support sounds like a great idea. I believe that this solution would be realistic and probable. But I personally believe more rehab centers should be open for free, specially for adolescents all over the United States, as chances for teenagers being around drugs and different substances are at all time rise. People should be thought about the dangers of substance use, and if they by any chance realize that these drugs can be fatal and dangerous to their health, they would try to stop.
1. I agree with Christine, I also feel that drinking does harm the family a lot as well as the individual because it will pass on down to the younger siblings who absorb information at that age like a sponge. The thing that stood out to me the most was the fact that people come from places that they are expected to drink. I really didn't understand what that really meant until I put it together. Also, another stand out thing is that people really don't notice the problems drinking can cause for the family members and people around them and just not the individual. I chose to comment about this because it seemed like an interesting subject when just looking through the different blogs. This is a major problem, because alcohol is either legal or easy to get. I've seen bad things happen because of alcoholics, and is probably much more dangerous than marijuana. This is a problem because drunk driving endangers more than one lives, and also ruins families.
2. Besides what a conflict theorist might say, an interactionist would argue that drinking habits is related with socialization with people. You might either see your parents drinking, and you would pick it up a lot fast since no one lectured you about the dangers. In other words, you would think it's socially acceptable. And peer pressure from friends at social events could also play a role in how you pick up drinking alcohol.
3. The solution for this problem of defining the word "moderation" might work in a sense. But you would also need an actual program that would tackle the problem. I feel words won't really do much for this problem. A solution that I would propose would easily be to start education programs in areas where alcohol problems are common. This could be aimed at inner city youth, and just statistical analysis and focusing more attention to places in need.
In Response to Amber A. Anthony E. 1. I do agree with Amber’s response because heaving drinking is a social problem. It does not just effect the person drinking, but the people around them. Just as she stated heavy drinking can cause domestic violence or other heat of the moment crimes. What stood out to me is when she spoke about the way an Interactionist would view this topic and noted that a child would see their parent drinking. Children are sponges and are influenced by whomever they watch. Especially their parents. It is important that when people do drink they are responsible. I have seen to many headlines where one night has ruined many lives. If we can learn out to drink in moderation, and teach others the same I think we can lower the rates of DUI’s, heat of the moment crimes, and some domestic violence disputes. 2. I think a Conflict theorist would say that the reason people drink heavily is to “reward” themselves or try to use alcohol as an escape. Members of society who are alienated from their friends, jobs, and family use drinking to escape their depression the system has brought on them. A conflict theorist would also state that the only reason why alcohol is legal and not illegal is that the elite drink it, unlike other substances. 3. I think that her solution is realistic and possible. In any struggle that you have in life it is always good to have a friend there to help you and remind you of what to and not to do. Scram systems which is a technology company has developed different devices that can measure the alcohol in your body. I think it would be great for someone who is having alcohol related problems and wore one of these. It would also be good if that person carried their remote breathalyzer. That way you can always keep track of your alcohol levels in case you do not have a friend to remind you.
10 comments:
Amber A.
1. Heavy drinking can be a social problem in society, because heavy drinking effects the social institutions of the family and community. Heavy drinking is a social problem because it is persistent in society and causes consequences for individuals in society. This can be socially constructed into a social problem. Herbert Blumer’s Model of Social recognition, social legitimation, mobilization and development of an official plan is used to confirm that heavy drinking is a social problem. For example Donna Dierker tells her story of how she recognized her problem of heavy drinking, how it was legitimized by society as a problem and how she mobilized for action, by joining a moderation management group and then she developed an official plan to help her abstain from drinking. For example a person who continues to drink heavily is more susceptible to anger issues and can inflict domestic violence within their family because of impaired emotions. Another example of why heavy drinking is a social problem, is that copious amounts of alcohol can impair an individuals driving skills and cause car accidents which threaten the social institution of the community, as well as the victims family.
2. An Interactionist would say that heavy drinking as a social problem stems from how individuals interact and how interactions between people shape how people behave, and how people choose to behave impacts society. For example a person who drinks heavily in front of their children, affect their child’s view on alcohol as well as their perception of normality of alcohol drinking. A child who sees their parent drink heavily on a day-to-day basis might view alcohol as a normal coping method and adapt that to their perception of what is a societal norm. From the NPR article, Donna Dierker found herself drinking every weekend with her husband and friend group. The people she interacted with encouraged her heavy drinking and created this perception that drinking alcohol heavily on the weekends was more of a reward for a hard weeks work. Donna’s interactions with her husband and friends normalized heavy drinking and influenced societal norms, creating this idea that after a hard week at work, drinking heavily on the weekends was ok.
3. Personally I think that rewarding yourself with a drink after a hard weeks work is the societal norm and is encouraged by society. I don’t see a problem with having a few drinks on the weekend, as long as you are being responsible in the sense that you don’t inflict harm upon anyone. For example, I agree with having a few drinks on the weekend, as long as you are not getting into a car and putting yourself and others at risk. I would also say that drinking on the weekend should not become a habitual routine, where you achieve the mindset of, Friday, drink, Saturday, drink, and repeat that every weekend. Drinking with moderation is the ideal way to go about drinking. One solution that involves the Interactionist perspective is to drink with a friend who you know won’t encourage heavy drinking. A drink or two, to relax and reward yourself after a long week is acceptable in my opinion, but if you are with a friend who is a competitive drinker, you are more likely to inflict harm upon yourself or others. One solution is to be around people who are mediators and who will remind you when you’re about to exceed the recommended limit. Another idea would be to have a friend text you at a certain time during the night of drinking to help remind you not to exceed your limit.
Lindsey E.
1. Substance abuse is a social problem because the person drinking does not realize they are not only harming themselves but everyone around them. A habitual drinker will always make an excuse to drink their feelings away, whether they choose to or not. He doesn’t sit and think of the consequences of his actions, he just drinks to drink. Generally habitual drinkers often lead their friends or relatives to picking up the habit of drinking as more of an everyday thing than just a casual encounter. Unfortunately, the problem of influential drinking occurs quite frequently throughout our society. Alcoholism usually begins at an early age so by the time these kids reach maturity certain stages of health failure begin to arise. Donna Dierker explained that she had a problem with consuming alcohol on a daily basis, she would drink from Friday all the way through Sunday. She said it was her reward for battling a long week at work. Come Sunday she’d feel terrible due to the excessive amount of alcoholic beverages she was taking in. Dierker realized her health was beginning to take a turn for the worst, she began to see changes in her weight and decided it was time to do something. She then began to attend to AA meetings but didn’t find them helpful, she then found a solution to moderate her consumption of alcohol. The solution used was the Moderation Management concept. This concept helped many control their urges to drink, some found it to be more useful than Alcoholics Anonymous.
2. A functionalist would see alcohol abuse as breaking the norm thus stating that it is a problem in our society. Functionalists believe that being an alcoholic causes more structural damage to a society as a whole than as an individual, in other words saying if you aren’t following the rules you’re seen as a deviant in the eyes of the society. Emile Durkheim’s concept of anomie comes into play when the norm has been broken. Anomie is then sees as the person or people being neglectful of the “guidelines” that our society has laid upon us.
3. My thoughts on this topic are both negative and positive. I do believe that a person can set limits to how much they want to drink but I also believe that a person will do as they please, so if he or she truly believes that they can manage their drinking without having to count, they will decide to do it. You are the only that can make it happen, no one else will be walking you through your decisions. Example for positive: I can have a glass of wine tonight to help prevent heart disease. Example for negative: Maybe if I drink the whole bottle of wine tonight I will help prevent heart disease and I won’t have to worry about heart disease because I can just drink a whole bottle again tomorrow night. Truly I would like to stay positive and believe that a person can stay sober for the rest of their life but through the hardships that I’ve experienced I sadly do not believe that one can stay sober for a long period of time. Perhaps it was the persons lack of self esteem that turned them back to abusing alcohol. Binge drinking is usually the answer for me, that is what I say is the problem and what I believe.
Destiny G.
1. Substance abuse is a social problem because drinking can lead to addiction and in some extreme cases can even lead to death. The abuser can not only be a danger to themselves but as well as to their community, their friends, and their families. They are so consumed by drinking that they do not even realize what is going on or who they are affecting. This is also a social problem because alcohol abuse begins with social drinking or having a drink here and there. Donna Dierker talks about how society accepts social drinking and how it has become a social norm. Dierker also talks about how she would reward herself at the end of the week with a drink. For an alcohol abuser this is where it would start because of the acceptance and normalness until the alcohol consumes them and they can no longer control their addiction.
2. An interactionalist would say that alcohol abuse comes from the individual perspective on life and how they choose to accept it. For example if a teenager sees his friends drinking and they tell him it’s okay everyone is doing it than he can be pressured into it by peer pressure. Donna Dierker also says she perceived socially drinking to be a social norm because everyone was doing it so she did it as well.
3. I believe that having a drink or two can be okay as long as you are able to control yourself and are responsible enough to do so. Alcohol has become such a problem in our society from being a danger to the community to drinking and driving therefore I think it needs to be more controlled. I also think people need to be more aware of the consequences of alcohol abuse. I also think that there should be more support groups like Donna Dierkers group Moderation Management to help moderate drinking.
Antonio Camarillo
1) The problem presented in this article is targeted towards heavy drinkers or alcoholics. There are a numerous amount of reasons as to why this specific problem is harmful to society, one being not only are they hurting themselves but people around them such as family or loved ones. Many heavy drinkers loose their family or work due to the dependency they have on the bottle. Many others lose their own lives or take lives from others when they decide to drink and get behind the wheel. It is shown that heavy drinkers don’t always have to result to the AA, because sometimes its just not the best fit for them. A good example comes from Donna Dierker who realized she had a drinking problem as soon as Friday hit. She would drink both Friday and Saturday heavily until Sunday came around where she felt horrible due to the amount she had consumed the previous days. She decided to join a moderation management group, where instead of cutting all the alcohol out of her, she learned to moderate it. This still allowed her to drink a little and enjoy her days out with friends but taught her to control her drinking.
2) A functionalist would have to say that without the problems of heavy drinking and alcoholism, there wouldn’t be any jobs or organizations that are used for rehabilitation of these people. All of society works together to make a whole. Without this problem there would be a lack of jobs for the rest. With any problem theirs usually a job for someone that knows how to fix it.
3) I personally think that this way of Moderation Management group is great. Not everyone recovers from alcoholism the same way, this offers a different way in order for people to seek for help. Many people associate the AA meetings as something depressing and often in the media they see that it’s relatively easy to relapse. The completely cutting off of alcohol for a person can be extremely difficult, this way of moderation helps people control their alcohol, but still enjoy it at a very minimal way. Anything that helps a person recover from either alchol or drugs is exceptionally good.
Christine Z.
After reading the article Rethinking Alcohol: Can Heavy Drinkers Learn To Cut Back? The social problem is the consumption of alcohol and how “drinking moderately” can sometimes be confused with actual dependency or lead up to it. The biggest issue here is that many drinkers believe that their drinking is what is expected of them (i.e. socially with family or friends) and therefore within the “norm” and not an actual problem. This though can easily lead to alcoholism which unfortunately causes the drinker to think that drinking excessively is not a problem and if it is; it only affects he or she not everyone around them. This is absolutely false because any addiction can cause damage to that person’s family (public or private) because the person who has the addiction will always place their “needs” above everyone else’s. This conduct can easily be rubbed off on other family members (young children, teenagers etc.) thus having them believe that it’s okay to drink heavy amounts of alcohol and causing a never ending cycle. This relates most to the interactionist perspective because interactionists focus on how we use and interpret the symbols we receive in our everyday lives to communicate with each other and create our own idea of who we are. So if you’re surrounded by people who drink alcohol on a daily basis this is going to become your “norm” and you’re going to get the idea that drinking is something that should be done regularly if not daily. This explains why Donna Dierker (in the article) drank the most alcohol around her friends; since they all drank she of course was “expected” to partake in the social norm.
A conflict theorist would say that a person drinking heavily is caused by the power struggle that exists within that person and the social systems that are in place (whether through social class, money, gender, race or ethnicity). Someone who finds himself constantly drinking alcohol is struggling to attain the possible resources or rewards that stem from competition and unfortunately result in inequality in the categories listed above. Because of this a person may find themselves in a state of “conflict” (because of depression or anger) and therefore using alcohol as their way to deal with everything that is going on. Drinking if anything is a coping mechanism that is used in times of serious distress and can only change (or stop altogether) when the person is no longer dealing with the repercussions of stratification.
After reading this article I find myself very grateful that I’m not someone who enjoys alcohol very much. I occasionally like to drink with friends or at family gatherings but I’d much rather not drink at all. I find that with alcohol most people often find themselves in a “slippery-slope” type position and that’s one I’d rather not be in. I empathize though because for some people it’s simply all they have ever known throughout their whole lives and that can be something very difficult to remove yourself from. I personally chose this topic because I know someone who is battling alcoholism and I see the struggle they go through every day to get better. I think one solution to this problem would be to use the word “moderation” very carefully when discussing the consumption of alcohol. You can drink “moderately” and still find yourself dependent on alcohol so it’s important to be careful. A person should talk to their doctor and see how their “moderation” compares to the amount of alcohol that is recommended for consenting adults. This is needed because I can guarantee that people will be surprised as to how much they’re actually drinking and they will rethink the amount they consume. I also think this will help because the article discussed how a patient just talking to their PCP can reduce drinking by twenty-five percent.
Lucia L.
In Response to Destiny G.,
1. I agree with Destiny with the fact that Alcohol can lead to addiction, but then again anything can lead to addiction. Alcohol isn’t really the social problem. The social problem is that there isn’t enough guidance for consumers in society about alcohol consumption and alcoholism because people drink and they do not know how much is too much. I chose to comment on this peer’s entry because I believe that she did not understand what the blog was about. From my understanding she summarized the blog of it being about the effects and dangers of consuming alcohol instead of discussing that the blog was about alcohol consumers cutting back on the number of drinks they intake on a daily basis.
2. From a Functionalist perspective, Alcohol consumption can be benefiting to society since it can be purchased anywhere, therefore generating a great amount of money and employment. In the case of alcoholism a functionalist would say that alcoholism would guide alcoholics out of college opportunities and guide them in search of other types of jobs that need to get done for the benefit of society.
3. The proposed solution that Destiny gave was to have more control by creating more support groups. I believe that this would be a good solution but I also think that another good solution is to inform people about the use of excessive drinking. Not only by naming the consequences such as DUI’s , but to educated people on how much is too much drinks per day by announcing it on T.V commercials, social media, the radio, and magazines.
Linda N. In response to Lindsey E.
1. I agree with her responses about how alcohol abuse is a social problem and how people do not realize it is harming them until it leads to health issues and many other aspects of our personal lives—just like in the case with Donna Dierker. What stood out to me about what Lindsey wrote was how the power of influence drinking has and occurrence happens frequently throughout society and brought up a point about how alcoholism happens for people when they are exposed to it at an early age. If they do not deal with it later on in an early age, it will crept up and reach them in adulthood and health problems will arise. I chose to comment on her entry because alcoholism is a broad social issue and we see it being abused in our society. The media portray it well (alcoholism), our observation within our friends, family, etc. Alcoholism can affect our socioeconomic status (SES), health, social unit of family (where it can lead to domestic violence), work, etc.
2. An interactionist would see alcohol abuse a social problem because alcoholism is a learned behavior. In other words, alcohol abuse is learned through interaction with others. Interactionist sees society’s reaction to alcohol abuse, in which that individuals are more to be labeled as alcoholic than others. Specific groups are targeted alcoholic because of their frequent intakes of alcohol or their own recognized subjective perception of intakes of alcoholism. Social problems are critical and real when they are subjectively defined as problematic. Social constructionism comes into play when recognizing the subjective social problems of alcoholism helps us to understand how its condition is defined as a social problem.
3. I think her proposed solution is realistic. The solution to alleviate the problem would be up to the individual. As mentioned in the NPR report, there is not enough data that a certain person will go back to drinking. It is controversial. Moderation technique can help some people; however, there are many kinds of drinkers and people that there is no way to tell or know to control drinking issues. Just because moderation management has worked for Donna Dierker, it does not mean that it is going to work for other people. Individuals who wish to get help would have to make that step and commitment in limiting their intakes of alcohol by means of their will. My proposed solution would be for the moderation management program that provides comprehensive services that accommodates people with this issue. The program might possibly works for some people. Aforementioned in the NPR, it is a process of what is going to work for them.
Akhiles P.
In Response To Amber A.
1.) I agreed with Amber's response to alcoholism or heavy drinking as an example of one substance abuse and how it is truly deemed to be a social problem due to the fact that those who drink regularly tend to become overly obsessed with drinking and become dysfunctional around their own family and around others in society. An alcoholic tends to lose touch of reality, by all means being disconnect therefore being out of control and dysfunctional to society. The idea displayed here that alcoholism can be caused by individual peer pressure and negatively influential to those around the alcoholic were some good points she made. I personally believe that substance use and abuse can definitely alter society in a negative way. I believe if people were to strive in all aspects of society and function with balance, it would be done with a sober mind and great focus and not with a mind that is clouded with drugs and chemicals due to substance abuse. I truly believe any type of substance abuse can throw people of their tracks and cause immense amount of dysfunction in their personal lives and in society, people tend to: rob stores for money because they aren't able to buy substances/drugs, they beat their loved ones out of stress and withdrawal, and slowly lose their identity and become something they are not.
2.) A functionalist would add that substance use and abuse is a dysfunction in society because people lose touch of reality and are in a state of disarray, not being able to focus and benefit from what life has to offer. A functionalist would also add that substance abuse would tear up families, those who have problems with addiction tend to release their stresses out on their loved ones and tend to lose themselves in a substance, always thriving for that specific feeling a drug provides them or that "high". According to functionalists "organs " of society must work together with no internal problems in order to be considered being functional and successful, and substance abuse is a big problem that stand against everything a functionalist believes in.
3.) I think their proposed solution for avoiding substance use and abuse is looked at from an interactionalist standpoint and I also believe it would be a great solution to solve the problem. To surround oneself with loves ones, to be reminded not to do drugs and have moral support sounds like a great idea. I believe that this solution would be realistic and probable. But I personally believe more rehab centers should be open for free, specially for adolescents all over the United States, as chances for teenagers being around drugs and different substances are at all time rise. People should be thought about the dangers of substance use, and if they by any chance realize that these drugs can be fatal and dangerous to their health, they would try to stop.
Michael A.
In response to Christine Z.
1. I agree with Christine, I also feel that drinking does harm the family a lot as well as the individual because it will pass on down to the younger siblings who absorb information at that age like a sponge. The thing that stood out to me the most was the fact that people come from places that they are expected to drink. I really didn't understand what that really meant until I put it together. Also, another stand out thing is that people really don't notice the problems drinking can cause for the family members and people around them and just not the individual. I chose to comment about this because it seemed like an interesting subject when just looking through the different blogs. This is a major problem, because alcohol is either legal or easy to get. I've seen bad things happen because of alcoholics, and is probably much more dangerous than marijuana. This is a problem because drunk driving endangers more than one lives, and also ruins families.
2. Besides what a conflict theorist might say, an interactionist would argue that drinking habits is related with socialization with people. You might either see your parents drinking, and you would pick it up a lot fast since no one lectured you about the dangers. In other words, you would think it's socially acceptable. And peer pressure from friends at social events could also play a role in how you pick up drinking alcohol.
3. The solution for this problem of defining the word "moderation" might work in a sense. But you would also need an actual program that would tackle the problem. I feel words won't really do much for this problem. A solution that I would propose would easily be to start education programs in areas where alcohol problems are common. This could be aimed at inner city youth, and just statistical analysis and focusing more attention to places in need.
In Response to Amber A.
Anthony E.
1. I do agree with Amber’s response because heaving drinking is a social problem. It does not just effect the person drinking, but the people around them. Just as she stated heavy drinking can cause domestic violence or other heat of the moment crimes. What stood out to me is when she spoke about the way an Interactionist would view this topic and noted that a child would see their parent drinking. Children are sponges and are influenced by whomever they watch. Especially their parents. It is important that when people do drink they are responsible. I have seen to many headlines where one night has ruined many lives. If we can learn out to drink in moderation, and teach others the same I think we can lower the rates of DUI’s, heat of the moment crimes, and some domestic violence disputes.
2. I think a Conflict theorist would say that the reason people drink heavily is to “reward” themselves or try to use alcohol as an escape. Members of society who are alienated from their friends, jobs, and family use drinking to escape their depression the system has brought on them. A conflict theorist would also state that the only reason why alcohol is legal and not illegal is that the elite drink it, unlike other substances.
3. I think that her solution is realistic and possible. In any struggle that you have in life it is always good to have a friend there to help you and remind you of what to and not to do. Scram systems which is a technology company has developed different devices that can measure the alcohol in your body. I think it would be great for someone who is having alcohol related problems and wore one of these. It would also be good if that person carried their remote breathalyzer. That way you can always keep track of your alcohol levels in case you do not have a friend to remind you.
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