SOCIAL BASES FOR ILLEGAL BEHAVIOR IN THE STUDENT COMMUNITY - FIRST YEAR REPORT

• NCJ Number: 7937
• Author(s): D H ZIMMERMAN; D L WIEDER
• Date Published: 1971
• Length: 162 pages
• Grant Number(s): NI-70-039
• Corporate Author: Scientific Analysis Corporation
• Sale Source: National Technical Information Service
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

SOCIOCULTURAL FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO AND SUSTAINING PATTERNS OF DRUG USE CONDUCIVE TO THE RATIONALIZATION OF DRUG USE IN MIDDLE CLASS STUDENTS.

Abstract

BELIEFS, ATTITUDES AND PRACTICES OF MEMBERS OF THE STUDENT COMMUNITY WHO USE DRUGS AND THE SOCIAL STRUCTURE THAT SUPPORTS DRUG USE. FOCUS ON THE CULTURAL FRAME OF THE MIDDLE CLASS DRUG USER, ESPECIALLY THOSE FACTORS WHICH SEEM TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE LEGITIMIZATION OF DRUG USAGE. INTERVIEWS, QUESTIONNAIRES AND DIARIES FROM 90 INFORMANTS, MEMBERS OF A STUDENT COMMUNITY WITH A GENERALLY HIGH LEVEL OF DRUG USAGE. DATA WERE COLLECTED ON THE VALUE SYSTEM AND MORALITY OF THE COUNTERCULTURE, THE ROLE OF DRUGS IN THE INFORMANTS' LIFE STYLE, AND FOLK PHARMACOLOGY. THE AUTHORS PLAN TO USE THEIR DATA TO DEVELOP MORE RATIONAL STRATEGIES FOR PREVENTING OR REDUCING DRUG USE, ESPECIALLY AMONG THE MIDDLE CLASS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)