Brenden Weber

 Alcohol and other drugs have long played a central role in society, both in everyday life and as subjects of controversy, regulation, and social concern. This week’s lesson focused on how sociologists approach drug and alcohol use, including the ways in which these substances shape communities, affect individual lives, and contribute to broader social issues. One of the main themes highlighted was how substance abuse not only causes health problems but also creates ripple effects across families, workplaces, and institutions. Alcohol, in particular, is a socially accepted substance, yet it remains linked to a wide range of social problems such as impaired driving, domestic violence, and addiction. The chapter readings and PowerPoint emphasized the importance of defining deviance in relation to drugs and alcohol. Deviance refers to behavior that violates social norms, and whether a drug is considered “acceptable” or “illicit” often depends on cultural context. For example, marij...

Aging is a natural part of life that affects everyone differently. It involves not only physical changes but also shifts in mental abilities and social roles. Understanding how aging impacts health and society is important because as the population gets older, challenges related to healthcare, social support, and quality of life become more common. Aging affects people in many different ways, including physical, mental, and social changes. For example, chronological age simply counts the years since birth, while psychological aging refers to changes in mental functions like personality and cognition. Another important aspect is social aging , which involves changes in a person’s roles and relationships with family, friends, and community groups. Sociologists have different theories to explain the aging process. The activity theory suggests that older adults stay healthier and happier when they remain socially active and engaged. On the other hand, disengagement theory says that s...

This week, we learned about three main ways sociologists look at social problems: functionalism , conflict theory , and symbolic interactionism . Functionalism, based on Émile Durkheim’s ideas, sees society like a living body where different parts, like family and schools, work together to keep things stable and peaceful. Functionalists think social problems happen when society is out of balance, but usually, small changes can fix these problems without shaking everything up. Conflict theory, started by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, looks at society as a place where different groups fight over resources and power. It focuses on unfairness and says that social problems come from these inequalities, like the gap between rich and poor. Conflict theorists believe big changes are needed to fix these problems. Feminist theory is part of this view and focuses on inequality between men and women. Symbolic interactionism is different because it looks at how people’s everyday actions and the...