A sociological theory of drug abuse and use views these phenomena as problems of the society rather than the individual, being due to economic, cultural, and social factors. In other words, sociological theories of drug abuse see the problem as external to the individual rather than internal or due to genetic and psychological conditions. The world around the individual is the source of the problem of abuse. However, in the sociological view of abuse, the cause of abuse becomes more abstract than in conventional views of drug abuse. Economic inequality has been proposed as a cause of drug abuse by proponents of the sociological view. Poverty and social disorder have also been offered as explanations for the prevalence of drug abuse in society by sociologists. These explanations are thought to have less utility than those offered by the psychological view of drug abuse, because they are difficult to prove and study. They are also less useful in terms of offering a basis for public policy that addresses drug abuse issues (Kavanaugh & Anderson, 2008).
A psychological theory of drug abuse and use views the individual as the source of the condition. This is in contrast to the sociological theory of drug abuse and use, which views society as the source of the condition. A psychological theory of drug abuse assumes that an individual’s propensity for using drugs is rooted in genetic or psychological factors. In the psychological view, a person’s inborn personality may predispose him or her to drug abuse. The presence of psychological conditions, such as depression or anxiety, may also be considered risk factors for drug abuse and use. The psychological view may be more effective than the sociological view in terms of explaining drug use because it offers explanations that are more easily proven (Lettieri, 1980).
Works Cited
Kavanaugh, Philip R., and Tammy L. Anderson. "Solidarity and drug use in the electronic dance music scene." The Sociological Quarterly 49.1 (2008): 181-208.
Lettieri, Dan J. "Theories on Drug Abuse: Selected Contemporary Perspectives. Research Monograph 30." (1980).
