Becoming A Marijuana User By Becker Summary

570 Words3 Pages

Becker (2009), state’s “sociological is the meaning of the behavior, and perceptions and judgements of object and situations”. In “Becoming a marijuana user”, it analyses through interviews, the views and behaviors of marihuana users within a social setting. The issue of Marijuana use, highlights how the perceptions and judgements of society of that time period can influence what behaviors are considered deviating from the norms. In 1953, the use of marijuana was a deviant behavior, however, in 2015, in Washington state U.S.A. the use and procession of marijuana for over 21 year old is now legal, thus showing the influence of society in regards to behavior. During Becker’s research in 1953, there was conflict to this label of being deviant, as individuals still participated in these behaviours, such as using marijuana. Therefore, supporting the interactionist view of the notion of deviance can only be relative to certain members of society. Other behaviours, such as …show more content…

According to Becker, there are three stages that one must pass through to be able to user of marihuana, supporting the learning theory. At the first stage, whereby the individual is a novice he must learn how to smoke properly, to produce the effects correctly. Without this learning, they cannot progress to the second stage. The second stage is the occasional stage, Becker (1953) stated “recognizing the effects and connect with the drug use”. In the third stage, the individual can fully enjoy the effects and sensations of marijuana use, and has become a regular user. Becker (1953) stated “that marihuana use for pleasure can occur only when the process described above is undergone and cannot occur without it. This is apparently so without reference to the nature of the individual's personality makeup or psychic