According to Erich Goode in Drugs in American Society, what is the difference between the “essentialist approach” and the “social constructionist approach” to the study of drugs? How do they differ in terms of their understanding of what a drug is and how it

According to Erich Goode in Drugs in American Society, what is the difference between
the “essentialist approach” and the “social constructionist approach” to the study of
drugs? How do they differ in terms of their understanding of what a drug is and how it
influences the consumption of users?
2. According to Eric Goode, the term “drug” means something different when used in
different social contexts. What are the three main social contexts he discusses? How do
the differences in meaning draw attention to the social construction of the term “drug”?
3. We learned about three different theories of drug addiction. What are these three
theories? How do they differ in terms of what the causes of addiction are (Explain and
clarify each)? What is the most appropriate response of government implied by each
theory?
4. In their chapter, “The Contingent Call of the Pipe,” sociologist Craig Reinarman and his
co-authors argue that crack “addiction” is different than crack “binging.” What is the
difference between binging and addiction? What is different about the social lives of
bingers and addicts?
5. In his article, “Becoming a Marihuana User,” sociologist Howard Becker argues one’s
propensity to become a regular marihuana user depends upon three factors.What are
those factors (explain each)? How are these factors influenced by the micro-sociological
context of use?
6. According to sociologist Joseph Gusfield, why has drinking alcohol has come to
symbolize all of the passage from work to leisure? How benefits from this patterning of
alcohol consumption and why?
7. According to sociologist Peter Conrad, there are two types of medicalization: of “deviant
behavior” and of “normal behavior.” Explain each of these two types with examples and
then explain why each raises issues of how and why medicalization is a social rather than
simply medical process.