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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
8 pages in length. The motivational reasons behind teenage substance abuse are both grand and far-reaching. Applying such theoretical perspectives as structural functionalism, conflict theory and symbolic interactionism, one is able to gain a significantly better understanding of why some teens might fall into drug and alcohol abuse. Bibliography lists 6 sources.
Page Count:
8 pages (~225 words per page)
File: LM1_TLCTnSub.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
some teens might fall into drug and alcohol abuse. Human nature is defined by myriad elements, not the least of which is the social need to categorize people into distinct
groupings based upon certain criteria. These innate classifications can represent significant social power, as in the case of beauty, wealth and status, or they can symbolize aspects of society
that people would just as soon forget, such as juvenile rebellion. For teenagers to become fully functional within a society that expects perfection from those who least possess it,
the theory of structural functionalism illustrates how the presence of myriad internal and external considerations reflects the protective shield. "The idea of self-esteem, if you just tell a child
hes good, and hes well, hes fine, does not produce anything, nor does it increase the childs self-esteem. Children begin to feel that no matter what they do, that
its okay. Theyre losing the concept of right and wrong" (Citizens Commission on Human Rights, 2002). According to structural functionalists, societys social system is based upon the status
quo; those who step outside those stringent boundaries are immediately looked upon as an outsider. If there is ever a time in ones life when one experiences an abundance
of hostility from external sources, it is during ones formative teenage years; as such, adding yet another aspect of alienation -- choice of clothing, peer pressure, etc. - can
readily push a young man or woman into substance abuse. Research indicates there are a number of social and environmental factors that encourage
teenage substance abuse, with a significant number of adolescents engaging in some form of drug and/or alcohol testing period at some time during their formative youth without falling into the
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