Journal article
Cannabis careers revisited: Applying Howard S. Becker's theory topresent-day cannabis use
M Järvinen, S Ravn
Social Science and Medicine | PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD | Published : 2014
Abstract
A considerable part of today's sociological research on recreational drug use is (explicitly or implicitly) inspired by Howard Becker's classical model of deviant careers. The aim of the present paper is to directly apply Becker's theory to empirical data on present-day cannabis use and to suggest a revision of the theory. As part of this, we propose a stretch of the sociological approach represented by Becker and followers in order to include, not only recreational drug use, but also use for which young people have sought treatment. The paper is based on 30 qualitative interviews with young people in treatment for cannabis problems in Copenhagen, Denmark. We suggest a revision of Becker's c..
View full abstractGrants
Funding Acknowledgements
We want to thank The Danish Council for Independent Research (Social Sciences) for support of the first author, and the Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research, Aarhus University, for support of the second author. We also want to thank the anonymous reviewers of this paper for their very helpful comments.