Student Name Susann Treston

Student name Susann Treston

Student number S0158048

Course code SOCL19072

Assignment Assessment 1

Topic Research Report

Substance Misuse

Word Count 1291

Lecturer Aminul Faraizi

Due date 10 April 2012

Table of Contents

Introduction 3

Summary 4

Analytical discussion 5

Conclusion 6

Appendix A: Media Articles on Substance Misuse used in Analysis 7

Appendix B: Abridged versions of the articles 9

Appendix C: Media Descriptors Used in Analysis 10

References 12

Introduction

According to Young (1988), deviance and crime are the staple fare of mass media. Images of drug use can incite public hysteria about social problems, exaggerating the extent and impact, and distort stereotypes of the how, why and whereabouts of the ‘typical’ deviant. The following report compares two substance misuse newspaper articles; one concerns a legal drug, alcohol, and the other an illegal drug, methamphetamine. A media content analysis discusses key features to identify those that shape media interpretation. These are a summary of the views portrayed in relation to ‘perpetrator’, ‘victim’, the extent of ‘moral panic’ and also overall tone, moral evaluation and consequences of the actions depicted. An overview of sociological theoretical influences on drug and alcohol use is compared with those themes identified in the media articles and a hypothesis is devised to explain a sociological interpretation that is best illustrated in the comparison article contents.

To understand the terminology, a perpetrator is one who performs or is responsible for an illegal, criminal, evil or deceptive act (Dictionary 2012a), whereas, a victim is anyone who suffers physical, emotional harm, loss or damage to property as a direct result of some action (Mental Health Co-ordinating Council 2011). Additionally, a victim can be a person who is deceived or cheated by their own emotions or ignorance, by dishonesty of others or some impersonal agency (Dictionary 2012b). Sociologist Stanley Cohen (1980) states a moral panic is ‘a condition, episode, person or group of persons [which] emerges to become defined as threat to societal values and interests; its nature is presented in a stylised and stereotypical fashion by the mass media’ (Roach Anleu 2006, cited p. 9, Arnold 2008, Hunt 1997).

Usually the work of moral entrepreneurs and the mass media, moral panics are a process arousing social concern and often over reaction to certain deviant behaviours which may be fairly trivial in nature or frequency (Teece & Makkai 2000). Moral panics have occurred over a wide range of social problems, such as child abuse, AIDs, Satanism and many adolescent sub cultural activities (Tepperman 2010, p. 386). Grayson (2004) defines a moral panic as a ‘mini-controversy’ characterised by exaggerated fears perpetuated and sustained by sensationalist media reporting, politicians and ‘self-appointed guardians of public morals’. This temporary outrage fuelled by fear has a basis in a social reality. Further, Davies (2008) views the circulation and promotion of moral panic is reliant on continual repetition by interest group/media, of that which is perceived to be prohibited, to create social and political instability.

Moral panics are manifested through official enquiries; denunciations by ‘community guardians’ such as police, clergy, journalists; the passage of new legislations and strengthening of existing legislation; investigations and prosecutions and the diversion of public and private resources from action that would provide substantive response to real problems (Arnold 2008).

Summary

‘Some people never learn’ (Beck 2012)

·  Indication of a worsening problem concerning drink driving rather than a moral panic.

·  The perpetuators are those charged with the offences; the ‘senior police officer’ and the local man with ‘six times the legal limit’.

·  (Implied) victims are the community/tax payers who fund the cost of policing and prosecuting which divert financial resources that could be used elsewhere and other drivers.

·  Selfishness and lack of social responsibility by perpetrators indicated by statements,’ grossly impaired’, ‘obstructing police’, ‘latest additions to the shame file’.

·  Overall tone of the article is negative and slightly alarmist.

·  The moral evaluation of substance misuse is bad; unacceptable whilst driving and the consequence of misuse was portrayed as arrest/incarceration, leading to a loss of control, costly to society in government and safety concerns.

‘Drug-charge Cousins can return to rehab’ (Guest 2012)

·  Representative portrayal of drug use by elites

·  Issue not a crisis or moral panic.

·  Negative tone but sympathetic, ‘under stress’, ‘family upset’, ‘fallen AFL legend’.

·  Authority figures empathising, the term ‘alleged’ 3 times, as if guilt indeterminate.

·  Elite can be viewed as both perpetrator (drug seller/user) and as victim (Addict/celebrity pressure).

·  Moral evaluation: substance misuse is bad and the consequence portrayed is arrest, incarceration, addiction, damage to reputation, cost to society and drug related crime.

Analytical discussion

Current sociological theories, account for the consumption of psychoactive substances with theory used to explain the violation of society’s laws and norms. Gottfredson and Hirschi (1990), view that nearly all theoretical perspectives of crime and deviance including theories of drug use, are related to motivation or predisposition (Goode 2006, 1972).

Psychoactive drug use is present in nearly all known human societies and groups (Young 1988). These substances can change a person’s mental state and there are close connections between usage and public safety issues, which is why society is interested in controlling excessive or deviant usage (Tepperman 2010). Social use and reaction to drugs varies historically and culturally, the way people behave after consumption depends in part on the society in which they have learnt to use the drug and the expectations of effect. Situational factors encourage or discourage drug use. Becker (1953) suggested that to use and appreciate drugs, the drug must first be available and knowledgeable others must teach the newcomer to use, detect and appreciate its effects. Tepperman (2010) views this to be true for alcohol; therefore drug use is viewed in a social and cultural context.

At a basic level, sociology categorizes theory into the structural-functional, social-conflict, and symbolic integrationist paradigms. Functionalist theories assert drug and alcohol fulfil an important social role, increasing social cohesion. According to social disorganization theory drug and alcohol use increase when institutions that discourage use become less effective, norms and values become unclear and people turn to drugs. Mertons (1957) theory of anomie focuses on the gap between cultural goals and the socially approved means of achievement, alcohol and drug use are a means of adaption to social inequality (Tepperman 2010). Symbolic interactionist theories focus on social meanings associated with behaviour and the labels attached to others who use drugs. A critical tenet of interactionism; realities and society are created or socially constructed by individuals, by consensus or shared meaning. Deviance does not exist objectively or naturally, therefore nothing is inherently deviant or wrong. Such designations are socially defined by people, who reach those conclusions via shared and contested views of the world, society, and their own lived experience (Anderson 2009). Social-conflict theories view society as an arena of material and immaterial inequality; deviance is strongly related to class, income power and neighbourhood (Goode 2006, 1972).

Symbolic interactionists, have traditionally maintained that deviance can be understood as a ‘career’, or a set of lifestyle behaviours, roles, and identities in some ways running counter to conventional society and consistent in others.

The ‘career’ fluctuates over time, with a beginning, end and a middle ‘enmeshment’ period with adopted drug related, deviant role and identity. An interactionist social learning theory postulates that label or stigma facilitates more not less drug use as individuals internalise the negative labels and persist in the deviant activity. Their deviant careers expanded as they accepted societies view of themselves; Cooley and Lemert called this a ‘self fulfilling prophecy’ (Anderson 2009).

An advancement of Sutherlands differential association theory, Akers (1979) theory of differential reinforcement maintains drug use results from the positive reinforcing effects of drugs (euphoria) that out-weigh negative ones (panic, nausea). This was especially likely if the individual received social reinforcement from other users, who viewed drug use positively (Anderson 2009).

Conclusion

The conclusion the author has derived based upon the articles analysed, has tended to point towards the social learning theory of deviant and criminal behaviour to explain the actions of the identities involved in substance misuse. However, with such a limited survey and analysis it is difficult to make more than a general observation. Whilst looking for articles concerning deviant behaviour, there was a preponderance of election related articles in hard-copy and online and a minimal focus on articles of a deviant nature; my interpretation of this, is that at this time the social focus related to newspaper sales would best be served by providing the public with articles with a political focus.

Appendix A: Media Articles on Substance Misuse used in Analysis

Guest, D 2012, ‘Drug-charge Cousins can return to rehab’, Australian, 3 April 2012, p. 8.

Appendix A:

Beck, H 2012, ‘Some people never learn’, Cairns Post, 26 March 2012, p. 3.

Appendix B: Abridged versions of the articles

Some people never learn

·  An off-duty police man and a man caught six times over the legal limit are the latest additions to the Far North’s drink drive shame file.

·  Sgt Gary Burkin of the Innisfail police said at that level the man’s driving had to be “grossly impaired’.

·  ‘And there are two ways of getting caught, one is by police and the other is by having an accident’.

·  ‘But there is a certain element of the motoring community that takes no heed and they are the ones that we will eventually detain’.

Drug-charge Cousins can return to rehab.

·  Fallen AFL ledged Ben Cousins is free to return to rehabilitation if he chooses, after a change in bail conditions for a drug charge his lawyer says will not result in jail.

·  Cousins is alleged to have possessed the drug with an intent to sell or supply and. If convicted faces a maximum penalty of 25 years jail or a $100,000 fine.

·  He’s obviously feeling the stress of the situation because the world is interested in what is going on.

·  ‘...the amount of drugs Cousins was alleged to be in possession of was just over the 4g limit for an indictable offence. This means Cousins case will be heard in the District Court, where heavier penalties apply.

Appendix C: Media Descriptors Used in Analysis

(Based on criteria in Hughes et al. 2010)

Value dimension:

·  Framed as crisis/ emergency issue / moral panic

·  Substance misuse is framed as requiring immediate or urgent government attention or community awareness. A “worsening” problem. There is a sense of urgency due to severity of consequences. May use emotive, heightened language. May emphasise new evidence or suggest that a long term problem has come to a sudden inflection point ( Hughes et al. p.124)

Role Dimension:

·  Framing as perpetrator / victim

Overall tone:

·  Positive: good news;

·  Negative: bad news;

·  Mixed : equal weight to both sides,

·  No overtly expressed opinion: a factual report with little interpretation.

Moral evaluation:

·  Good,

·  No-risk / Minimal risk

·  Normal / Rite of passage

·  Risky behaviour

·  Bad

·  Mixed

·  Neutral.

Topic:

·  Individual level

·  Specific group / community level

·  Criminal justice : prison –user / prison - dealer

·  Law enforcement : user / dealer

·  Violence / drug related crime / organised crime / trafficking

·  Harms: death overdose / mental health / physical / addiction

·  Policy commentary : law enforcement / prevention / harm reduction / other

·  Politics / new initiative / research

·  Trends : patterns of use / drug market changes

·  Cost to society : monetary / environmental

·  Elite: politician / icon / sport / model

·  Event: calendar / youth / music or festival/ other

Consequences of use/ behaviour:

·  Unknown,

·  Cost to society: public amenity/government/drug related crime/ industry.

·  Leads to loss of: control/marginalisation.

·  Reduces : employment/ education prospects

·  Contributes to : tragedy/ family breakdown

·  Arrest/ incarceration

·  Death/ overdose

·  Health problems : physical/mental/addiction

·  Damage to reputation

·  Not a barrier to success

·  Benefits: social/health

·  Fun

·  Neutral

Source:

A source is defined as an individual or organisation giving information or opinion.

·  Politicians/ ministers

·  Law enforcement/ police/ judiciary

·  Health/ doctor

·  Elite/ celebrity

·  Activist

·  Researcher/ expert

·  NGO/ service delivery

·  Family/ friends

·  General public

·  Newspaper/ media

References

Anderson, T 2009, ‘Sociological theories of drug abuse’, University of Delaware, viewed 15 March 2012, http://www.udel.edu/soc/tammya/pdf/crju369_theory.pdf

Arnold, B 2008, ‘Moral panics’, Caslon Analytics, viewed 6 April 2012, http://www.caslon.com.au/moralpanicnote.htm

Beck, H 2012, ‘Some people never learn’, Cairns Post, 26 March 2012, p. 3.

Davies, C 2008, ‘Proliferating panic’, Cultural Studies Review, vol. 14, no. 2, viewed April 6 2012, http://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/journals/index.php/csrj/article/viewFile/2073/2255

Dictionary 2012a, ‘Victim’, viewed 6 April 2012, http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/victim+?s=t

Dictionary 2012b, ‘Perpetrator’, viewed 6 April 2012, http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/perpetrator?qsrc=2446

Goode, E 1972, ‘A Sociological Perspective on Drugs and Drug Use’, in Drugs in American Society, Alfred A. Knopf, New York, viewed 15 March 2012, http://www.psychedelic-library.org/goode.htm

Goode, E 2006,’The sociology of drug use’, 21st Century Sociology, Sage Publications, viewed 15 March 2012, https://docs.google.com/a/cqumail.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:MJJYibIvWakJ:www.sagepub.com/oswmedia3e/study/chapters/handbooks/handbook6.2.pdf+&hl=en&gl=au&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEEShiMkdZWNgpwJ1F_ezEx6avhxfO3rwnOB6K09sPpknXkL_tqtf68EXqqRzKD7QhGVUBA6W8sVRwthLjSSxZmzc0yoR9e7CWxDX_xmHQ1jDDonwpX8UgS2rHzcmqaVJgubDGmHIj&sig=AHIEtbSgoLfKGHEBTARbeonNlu-PSQCS-g