Sociology of Drugs: Why do we do what we do?

HTHI 12th grade Government/Sociology

Research Paper Outline

Overview:

For our Sociology of drugs unit, every student will be required to write a short research
paper on a drug that they choose to focus on. Their subject could be everything from
over the counter medications, prescription drugs, to caffeine or controlled substances.
Once your topic has been approved, you will need to research and write a paper
analyzing why people choose to use the drug you’re studying. Looking at this through
the sociological lens of conformity and deviance may be helpful in your analysis. You
also will want to gain a greater understanding of the history, uses, effects, addictive
nature, sociological context (is/was the drug used in ritualistic ways, in a common way in
the society, for health reasons), etc.

The research paper will be used to guide the short story you will be writing later in this
unit. You must have some background information and factual knowledge to create a
believable plot and storyline. Our ultimate goal with this project will be to answer the
question of why we do what we do. Why do we, as a society and as individuals, make
the choice to use drugs that may be unhealthy and/or illegal? Why do we rely on
prescription medications so much when preventative health may be able to minimize this
necessity? Why do people go to such great lengths risking life, employment, family, etc.
to feed an addiction to an illicit substance? What are the sociological factors at play that
enable and/or inhibit people in our society from making these choices? These are all the
over-arching questions we will be exploring in this unit.

Paper guideline

For the research paper, you must answer the following questions. I will be looking for
papers that show in-depth knowledge, well thought out structure and a high level of
synthesis and analysis in the paper. I don’t simply want a regurgitation of facts you find
on a website. I’m looking for you to take those facts, think about them, and use them to
develop ideas as to why people make the choices they do. This is a complex, interesting
issue. The answer as to why a person or a group of people make the choices they do to
use or abuse a drug can be varied, complex, and interesting. Your paper should reflect
that.

The paper should address the following:

1. History and development of the drug

a. Where did the drug come from? What are its uses historically? Has it
always been an accepted and commonly used drug in the societies that
cultivated/manufactured it? Trace its use from discovery until present day.
 2. Uses of the drug
a. For what purpose was the drug originally
cultivated/developed/manufactured? How has that changed if at all since
its original development?

3. Effects of the drug

a. What are the effects of the drug on a human? How does it affect the
central nervous system? Other parts of the body? How does the active
component of the drug react chemically in the body?
b. Is the drug addictive? Why?

4. Present Context
a. How is the drug currently used in modern U.S. society? Is it accepted as
part of the norms of our culture? Is the use of it considered deviant? Why
or why not? What are the effects of its use on the society at large? Has its
use created a drain on resources (efforts to control/enforce laws, i.e.)?
How might that be remedied?
b. What is the economic impact of the sale of this drug on the U.S. market
(whether black market or not)?

5. Why do people or groups of people choose to use/abuse the drug you have in
question?
a. Your paper should include an intro and closing paragraph with a thesis
statement that answers this question. Your thesis should be supported by
the analysis of your research (synthesis of what you found).

Resources:
http://www.sandiego.gov/public-library/
http://www.facts.com
http://www.sac.edu/students/library/nealley/websites.htm
http://www.questia.com/library/sociology-and-anthropology.jsp
http://www.procon.org

You must use at least 4 outside sources (articles must be submitted with your paper),
and should probably be approximately 4 pages.
You must also have a works cited page.

It is due on Monday, March 16th. Rough drafts should be submitted on Wednesday,

March 11th.

The research paper is worth 75 points.