SOCIAL PROBLEM AND ISSUES

MDOC1513
SESSION 4
 Lecturer: Me N. Velelo
Facilitator: Ms Andy Madiehe

Office: South Block Room 12B

Contact details: 051 401 2919 (during office hours)

email address: velelonl@ufs.ac.za

 Overview

• Explanation of social problem.

• Nature of addiction.

• Drug abuse and dependency.

• Causes of drug abuse (including alcohol abuse) and dependency.

• Doctor’s role in respect of substance abuse.

• Stigma.

• Social consequences of stigma.

 Explanation of a social problem

• Condition that is seen as socially undesirable by a segment of the society.

• Objective and subjective elements-legal use of marijuana.

• Variation in the definition of social problems.

 Nature of addiction

• Complex phenomenon.

• Different types of drugs are mainly used for euphoric effects.

• Psycho-social climate in some countries conducive to use, misuse and abuse of substances.

• Risk factors (health factors) and circumstances (psycho-social circumstances) contribute to

substance abuse.
 Drug abuse and dependency

• Abuse
• Indiscriminate use.
• Accepted social standards transgressed.

• Addiction/ Dependency
• Repeated use leads to a state of periodic or chronic intoxication.
• Adverse effect on individuals and society.
• Overwhelming compulsion to continue use and obtain it by any means.
• Psychological and physical dependence.
• Continual increase of the dose.
 Causes of drug abuse and dependency

1. Peer groups
• Drug abuse is associated peer group influence.
• Act as subgroup.
• Opportunity to manifest behaviour not controlled by external environment.
• Experimenting by new members.

2. Nature of school environment

• Competitive, evaluative, formal, impersonal, disciplined.
• To cope – innovative behaviours such as drug use.

3. Work environment
• Tension, anxiety, frustration, stress.

4. Role changes
• Developmental stages of the family.
• Anxiety if role expectations are difficult to meet.
• Drugs alleviate pressure associated with role performance.
 Causes of drug abuse and dependency

5. Family networks, interactions and home environment- Learned behaviour (children imitate
parents’ coping strategies).
Poor child-parent attachments:
• lack of commitment to conventional activities.

• Parents provide models for antisocial behaviour.

• Reinforces drug-taking behaviour in their kids.

 Causes of drug abuse and dependency

6. Events of life
• Negative life events such as divorce, conflict, death.
• Stressful life events.

7. Personality
• Introverted, submissive, fearful, lack confidence in themselves and others.
• Need for recognition.
• Drugs help to require a sense of well-being.
 Causes of alcohol abuse and dependency

1. Stress and events of life

• Relationship between heavy drinking and financial, academic and family stress.

2. Size of family
• Youngest child in large families more at risk. Why?

3. Ambivalence about drinking

• Disagreement between parents about the use of alcohol.
 Causes of alcohol abuse and dependency

4. Availability of alcoholic beverages

• Entry level – low alcoholic drinks.
• Positive orientation towards alcohol use.

5. Norms
• Peer pressure.
• Clear norms controlling alcohol use – behaviour of alcohol users is similar with the normative
expectations.
 Causes of alcohol abuse and dependency

6. Family experiences
• Modelling of behaviour.
• Lack of family cohesion.

7. Powerlessness
• Gives user confidence.

8. Social change
• Stress associated with these changes
 Consequences of substance abuse and dependency

• Physical health.
• Psychological well-being.
• Interpersonal relationships.
• Cognitive abilities.
• Motor coordination.
• Economic and future prospects.
• Role expectations and general behaviour.
 The doctor’s role in respect of substance abuse

• Addiction is a disease – doctor gives medical inputs in treating the patient.

• Diagnose.

• Know treatment options available:

• in-patient or out-patient at drug rehabilitation centre.
• Familiar with correct admission procedures.

• Careful not to substitute one substance with another.

• Work with other professionals in a multi-disciplinary team i.e. spiritual leaders, social workers,
psychologists.
 Stigmatisation

• Any condition, characteristic, feature that individuals regard as culturally unacceptable or inferior.

Types of stigma
• Discreditable stigma
Condition that is known to individual and close relations- Mastectomy, HIV.
• Discrediting stigma
Condition cannot be hidden away- Blindness, Amputation.
• Enacted stigma
Real experience of prejudice, discrimination and harm as a result of a specific condition-Albinism.
• Felt stigma
Fear that discrimination will occur.
 Social consequences of stigmatisation
Labelling
• Person obtains a new, deviant social status or identity.

• Health care professionals - social control over health status:

• Assign labels such as epileptic, bipolar, HIV-patient, diabetic, cancer patient.
• Identifies people as being in a ‘less-than-perfect’ physical or mental health.

Society attaches consequences to labels

• Shape how others treat us and how we see ourselves.

• Label becomes a master status and the person primarily seen and treated according to this
status.

• Social expectation is that person with condition must conform to general stereotype (label).
 Social consequences of stigmatisation

• Labels become self-fulfilling:

• Identity must be enacted in future social interaction (must adopt and act according to the
master status).

• Person must deal with the medical consequences of the disease and the social consequences
associated with the label:
• Prejudice and discrimination from society;
• Diminishes person’s willingness to seek medical and social help.
THE END!!!