In Howard Becker's "Becoming a Marihuana User," he describes what it takes for someone to feel high after smoking marijuana. The three main components are: 1. The user correctly smoking the pot, 2. The user recognizing the effects and connecting them with drug use, and 3. The user learning to enjoy the sensation. The first two steps are pretty objective, but the third requires some social construction. The subject, the user, may not instantly recognize the symptoms of smoking pot as being positive because many of them are "ambiguous," as Becker says. It is in this third step that a pot smoker must somehow learn to appreciate the symptoms of smoking. In the sub-culture of pot smokers, the feeling of being high is viewed as a very positive thing. So when a first time user is trying to understand what he/she is experiencing, a more experienced user often convinces the new user that the feelings are desirable. Because all of the experienced smokers enjoy being high, the new user assumes that being high is good and eventually learns to like it.
Very similar to this is the sub-culture of alcohol use. When you think about it, it is odd that people actually want to get drunk. Almost all of the side effects seem negative. Why is it desirable to get dizzy, have impaired judgement, lose your motor skills, vomit, and become unconscious? A first time user might feel very scared or uncomfortable when he/she becomes intoxicated. However, other people around often convince the user to drink more, and tells the user that he/she isn't drunk enough. This teaches the first time user that it is good to be drunk, a perfect example of a social construction. Another part of this construction is that doing questionable things while drunk is "fun", when in fact the exact same things could be done while sober. For example, it is more socially acceptable to have sex while drunk than it is while sober. For me, this reasoning is ridiculous. If someone allows him/herself to become intoxicated to the point of having impaired judgement, that person is still being irresponsible and should not be let off the hook for doing stupid stuff. And while things like this often don't make sense, it is just part of the culture that we create for ourselves.
This is a phenomenal comparison!! I am thoroughly impressed with the parallels you made between alcohol and pot smoking. I would like to add though that pot smokers like alcohol users have certain activities tied to it such as sitting around doing nothing, eating mass amounts of food and listening to classic rock or weed related rap music. All of these activities are not particularly exciting but most pot users would claim they are a ton of fun while high.
ReplyDeleteI guess that's the good thing about social construction surrounding substance abuse because no matter what drug your getting into you already have a pre made game plan for what to do while under the influence.
You make a very good point on the influence of others on experience. It is possible to have an entirely different experience while doing the same thing depending on whether or not you are around people. As you mentioned, getting drunk can be very very unpleasant, but when there are people around to approve of your actions, it becomes more pleasurable and fun.
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