Deviance & Alcoholism (Term Paper Sample)

Deviance and Alcoholism
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Deviance and Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a problem experienced almost everywhere in the world and there are efforts taken by the societies to control it. This requires deep understanding of its nature, causes, effects and other encouraging factors. Alcoholism has been perceived as a medical problem since it could be treated, but recent concepts label it as a social deviant behavior. This paper will discuss about the alcoholism as a socially constructed, communicated, and learned deviance problem rather than a biological cause. This will be achieved through a description as a deviant concept against any history of a non-deviant behavior, discussions of how power and inequalities influence its construction, and how deviant label shape life changes. It will also discuss how it is learned, controlled, punished, resisted and any medicalization as well as theories explaining its development.
DESCRIPTION
Alcoholism is a problem experienced in many societies and covers issues associated with intake of alcohol (Schneider, 1978). In most cases, it is used to refer to addictive and uncontrolled use or abuse of alcohol such that the health, relationships and social status of a person is eroded. Due to its negative effects on users, it is considered as a bad practice in the society. Alcoholism is contributed by many social issues concerning users as well as society and is largely accepted as a social deviance behavior. However, according to Schneider (1992), deviant drinking has been conceived as a disease in America following the success of over 200 years of medicalization and treatments. Scientific studies have shown medical symptoms, public medical awareness on the issue, medical devices used in treatments, approved drugs and methods, and approval by government and society as supporting the concept of drinking as a disease. Nevertheless, all these take place in social and political setting and hence alcoholism is largely a social problem.
ROLE OF POWER AND INEQUALITY IN CONSTRUCTIONS OF DEVIANT ALCOHOLISM
Power and inequalities in the society play a part in development of deviance behaviors among people. Members in the society are at different levels of power and there are many inequalities that influence constructions of alcoholism behaviors. The people with high power in the societies are associated with labeling of behaviors of people with regard to values as well as norms upheld (Schneider, 1978). For instance, parents have a high power than their children and would determine the good and bad behaviors of the children. Children that behave as expected would be labeled good attributes while those that go against the expectations are given unfavorable labels that contribute to primary or secondary deviant behaviors. Similarly, the power and inequalities in the society based on literacy does not impose punishments for elite people with deviant behaviors such as alcoholism (Schneider, 1978). Constructions of alcoholism deviance behavior also vary with power differences based on gender, sexuality, race and ability to control resources or social structures.
Deviant labels shape the life changes in individuals as well as the society and may not suitable, especially among the children. Children would accept such bad labels and shape their behaviors to meet their perceptions of alcoholic people. In addition, their interactions with the people labeled normal change and this affect their behavior development process. Deviant labels on alcoholism create awareness among people about dangers and consequences that they would face for indulging in alcoholic activities (Conrad & Schneider, 1992). This is important in shaping their behaviors in order to stop or avoid alcoholism so that they do not fall victims of unfavorable actions of the people such as rejection, isolation and other punishments such as provided in laws or regulations. Imposing deviance labels on alcoholism makes people or drinkers aware of tolerance limits of the public and shapes their drinking behaviors to fit the norms and standards observed by the society.
ALCOHOLISM LEARNED, CONTROLLED, PUNISHED, AND RESISTED
There are several ways through which deviant alcoholism is controlled, punished or resisted in the society and formal organizations. Formal sanctions are practiced by governments, businesses, religions and other civic organizations. The government measures towards deviant drinkers include use of criminal laws, codes in administration functions, rules and regulations on civil servants, and recognition or merits for exemplary efforts against alcoholism (Conrad & Schneider, 1992). Various businesses have also developed sanctions such as suspensions, expulsions or demotion on deviant drinkers; prohibitive work codes; as well as promotions, merits or awards for exemplary anti-alcoholic behaviors. Religious controls include excommunication, removal from church services held, rejecting observe service during burials, demanding apologies, and excommunications. Deviant drinkers in civic organizations may be expelled, suspended, or fined while awards and recognition would be offered to anti-alcoholic behaviors or efforts (Conrad & Schneider, 1992). Similarly, the general society has informal controls such as gossips, ostracism, biased opinions, use of undesirable statuses, and denial of affection, mob violence, and use of negative verbal labels against deviant drinking.
Despite the general acceptance of the alcoholism as a social deviance, it has been highly medicalized some authors have written articles urging deviance drinking is a medical problem. Schneider (1978) shows that alcoholism is a disease besides being a social problem and urges that medical treatments should as well be administered alongside punishments. The author indicates that alcoholic therapies have been effective and gaining popularity such that people belief psychological allergies could cause alcoholism. Similarly, Roman and Trice (1968) label alcoholism as a medical issue by pointing two mechanisms on how the behavior develops. One is the fact that deviant drinkers seek assistance of physicians showing have no responsibility on alcoholism just like an illness. Secondly, the authors show that it leads secondary deviance that would imply drinkers understand the illness as well as influence to their social life.
THEORIES FOR DEVIANT ALCOHOLISM
Several theories explain the development of alcoholic deviant behavior among people. This include the labeling theory that categorizes behaviors of people as improper or proper, good or bad, or even moral or immoral with regard to values and social norms. Labeling alcoholism as against norms and values of a society makes it a deviant behavior and this contributes to the development of the behavior due to punishments or sanctions of the people (Conrad & Schneider, 1992). For instance, a person who engages in alcoholism could be isolated and hence associate with other deviant drinkers who influence him or her into heavy drinking. Labeling other practices as deviance would also make individuals associated with alcohol users and eventually drift him or her into alcoholism. Labeling also leads to acceptance of such behaviors by individuals that could make it diffic...