A Sociological Perspective on the Drug War

A Sociological Perspective on the Drug warfareKelli PiperataIntroductionThe contend on Drugs has been going on for many years. Drugs were neer the range of this war, but racial discrimination was. Today, in the modern era of the drug war, it is not just a war on race, but to a fault a war on the lower- affectionate classify societies. This essay bequeath short give examples of the history in which some of the first rightfulnesss against drugs were enacted and indicate the contrary racial and social class issues that are raised as good as a sociological intental perspective.Class Conflict and racial ConflictThe modern era of the War on Drugs seems to target not only minorities, but also clean lower-class citizens as well. The ranch between the rich and poor is not getting smaller, but sooner becoming larger. Many lower-class individuals want to gain upward mobility at bottom ordering, but make believe limited resources to accomplish these means. These individuals ma y suffer from what sociologists bid relative deprivation, the social or economic inequality for individuals that cannot achieve authentic ways of success. These individuals seek out(p) a means to achieve this social mobility by selling drugs, or cultivating drugs to make financial gain. Others may be a product of their environ custodyt and may be shaped in a certain fashion that leads them to crime. These lower-class societies are oppressed by capitalism. Most individuals seek out a better life and have the American Dream, but that dream is only a reality for truly few within poorer communities.From a historical view, looking at the War on Drugs, it has always been a racial divide. The War on Drugs has nigh always been a war on race, not drugs. From the beginning of written drug laws that have been enforced, they have always targeted a race. For example, first the target was towards the Chinese immigrants in California with the opium ban in San Francisco in 1875. Moreover, a fter(prenominal) that the Hispanics from Mexico were targeted and blamed, hence came the Marijuana Tax Act in 1937. When the opium ban was enacted, white middle-class and upper-class hands felt that white wo custody belonging in these classes were being seduced by the opium dens. However, these opium dens were used by a small piece of Oriental immigrants and white women of the upper-class did not frequent these establishments. White men cookd an outrage in the humankind eye and the first anti-opium canon was passed. The opium legislation that was passed in 1937 can be directly attributed to racism, white conservative men were scared and felt threatened by the Chinese cultures and ways so they go to alienate them as well as have them moved out of the get together States territories.Racism is still a key ratifier to the War on Drugs, individuals such as Donald Trump made racism the backbone of his campaign. Trump focused on Mexico, claiming that they are rapists and drug dealer s, occupation them bad hombres. Additionally, the political platform was used to divide the United States and create a myth that minority immigrants, mostly consist of drug dealers and law breaking sullenenders. Statistical data shows differently, according to Philip Bump from the Washington federal agencyData from the census and a wide range of other empirical studies show that for every ethnic group without exception, incarceration rates among young men are lowest for immigrants, even those who are the least educated. This holds true specially for the Mexicans, Salvadorans and Guatemalans, who make up the bulk of the undocumented population. (Ruben Rumbaut, University of California, 2008. Published by the constabulary Foundation.)Donald Trumps campaign directly targeted, discriminated, alienated, and generalized a whole group of individuals.A Functional PerspectiveThe question needs to be asked, why does the United States continue the War on Drugs? Drugs contribute to the eco nomy in many ways. Prisoners within the correction departments help the private institutions with financial gain by producing products for around twenty-five cents an hour. These prisoners are capitalist slaves they do rigorous stimulate at minimum costs for companies that make immense profits off of these products. In addition, another contributing factor of the drug war is the jobs it creates practice of law officers, judges, correctional officers, drug testing companies, etc. Robert Mertons theory of structural function is seen within these institutions, the institutions serve a mapping of keeping offenders out of the public and in return the offenders do labor for business and are stipendiary a subsistent wage. The institutional workers (the quasi group) all fulfill their roles in society by performing the tasks and maintenance required within these institutions. The main purpose for the continuance of the drug war is the economic gain within society. lastThe War on Drugs h as been going on for years, it may have started out racially directed but in the modern era it has shifted to target both racial minorities and the lower-class in society. This war has created social class conflict as well as racial conflict and these conflicts will continue well into the future, unless institutions are stopped from making a financial gain.ReferencesBump, Philip. Surprise Donald Trump is Wrong about Immigrants and Crime. 2 July 2015. The Washington Post. Print. 2 February 2017.George Ritzer, Jeffery Stepnisky. Classical Theories, Emile Durkheim From Mechanical to Organic Solidarity. George Ritzer, Jeffery Stepnisky. Contemporary Sociolgical Theory and Its Classical Roots. hot York, Ny McGraw-Hill, 2013. 15-19. Print.George Ritzer, Jeffery Stepnisky. Classical Theories Karl Marx, From Capitalsim to Communism. George Ritzer, Jeffery Stepnisky. Contemporary Sociolgical Theories and Its Classical Roots. New York, NY McGraw-Hill, 2013. 21-30. Print.George Ritzer, Jeffer y Stepnisky. Contemporary Grand Theories, morphological Functionalism. George Ritzer, Jeffery Stepnisky. Contemporary Sociolgical Theories and Its Classical Roots. 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