Sociology of Drug Use Lecture 1

Sociological Analysis of Social Problems

Lecture 1 (September 8, 2015)

Freedom is structured is that our dreams are limited by the availability of certain resources and what existed.

Agency: idea that we are individual agents and that the capacity of an individual to act independently and make their own choices; exits within structures

Structure: recurrent patterned arrangements which seems to influence or limit the choices and opportunities that individuals possess

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Fundamental Argument in Mills Sociological Imagination:

Each of us has our individual biography; in which we only understand by looking at history

C. Wright Mills

1. What ordinary man are directly aware of and what they try to do are bounded by the private orbits in which they live.
2. Meaning when we tell story of our life through individuality we are trapped; understand our actions much better seeing it through a broader spectrum

To see “what is happening in (ourselves) as minute points of the intersections of biography and history within society.”

Emerging Adulthood: period btw adolescence and adulthood, generally people who do not have children, do not live in their own home, or do not have sufficient income to become fully independent in their early to late 20s.

Availability of potential partners creates a false notion of the perfect soulmate.

Structure of internet and internet dating changes most intimate desires

What is social about suicide?

1. Suicide is the ultimate “individual” decision.
2. Rates of suicide are relatively even, with some fluctuation

Suicide rates for men are much higher than suicide rate than females

1. Implementation
2. Gender communication
3. Men subject to more trauma; women choosing less effective ways of suicide men choosing more efficient ways of suicide

Emile Durkheim

• Published in 1897.
• Found that protestants had higher suicide rates than Catholics
• Societies differ on different levels and used suicide to show that difference
• Reasons being: high vs low church; faith and beliefs on suicide;
• Protestants: don’t need anybody to help you communicate with God. One on relationship with God
• Catholics have more of a community and tell your priest what’s wrong and your priest give you some salvation and you feel better.

Developing a Sociological Imagination:

1. Look at the particular part of a particular society as a whole
2. Look at things historical to look at how problems changed over times and problems in other cultures.  
3. Looking at a social problem and it’s hard to change and persistent we look at whose benefits and who wins.