Study Notes on Culture and Cannabis

Introduction to Culture

The course began with an exploration of how individuals define their personal cultural identities, illustrating that culture is a multifaceted lens. Participants identified with various groups:

  • Ethnic and Religious Identities: Venezuelan and Irish cultures were cited, with the latter focusing on linguistic preservation and traditional foods. Jewish culture was discussed in relation to specific historical monetary practices and community values.

  • Subcultures: These are smaller groups within a larger culture, such as athletic culture (specifically the unique discipline and schedules of swimmers and soccer players) and beer culture, which possesses its own vocabulary and social rituals.

  • Institutional Culture: Student culture represents the shared values, pressures, and social norms associated with university life.

Class Structure and Assessment Logistics

Due to the enrollment of 47 students, the logistics for the term tests were clarified:

  • Testing Windows: Exams are scheduled for February, Tuesday in April, and May.

  • Split Sessions: To accommodate the classroom capacity, a maximum of 25 students can test per session. Students must select between Wednesday or Friday slots.

  • Consistency: While the questions vary between the two days to maintain academic integrity, the format and difficulty level remain identical.

Cannabis and Culture: A Sociological Lens

Cannabis serves as a primary case study for understanding how cultural perceptions are shaped and manipulated over time.

  • Etymology and Stigma: The shift from the scientific term "cannabis" to "marijuana" was a deliberate choice in the early 20^{th} century. The latter was used to associate the plant with Mexican immigrants, leveraging xenophobia to fuel prohibitionist sentiment.

  • Legal Evolution: While it was prescribed medicinally in the early 1920s, a rapid shift occurred leading to criminalization, driven by changing social definitions of morality and safety.

Historical Context: The Influence of Harry Anslinger

The "War on Drugs" has its roots in the efforts of Harry Anslinger (referenced as Gary Anselmayer in class discussions), the first commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics.

  • Racialized Propaganda: Anslinger orchestrated campaigns equating cannabis use with "insanity," murder, and sexual violence. He specifically targeted minority groups, claiming the drug induced a sense of social equality that threatened the status quo.

  • Political Tool: Anti-drug sentiment was also used to link users to communist threats during periods of political tension.

Media as a Tool for Propaganda

Cultural artifacts played a crucial role in cementing negative views:

  • Film Influence: "Reefer Madness" (1936) and "Devil's Harvest" are classic examples of hyperbolic propaganda. They depicted users descending into immediate madness or criminal behavior after a single use.

  • Societal Norms: These films successfully shifted public perception from seeing cannabis as a medicine or common plant to viewing it as a "killer weed" and a threat to American youth.

The Mechanics of Social Constructs

Social constructs are the shared assumptions people have about the world. They are not naturally occurring but are "real" because society treats them as such.

  • Process of Formation: Through daily interaction, certain behaviors become habitualized and eventually institutionalized as "the way things are."

  • Example - Gender and Fashion: Historically, fashion items like skirts were not inherently feminine; in many cultures (e.g., Scottish kilts), they are symbols of masculinity. This demonstrates that meanings are assigned by society, not biology.

Categories of Social Constructs

  1. Signifiers: Symbols or actions that carry specific cultural meanings, such as a "thumbs up" or a "nod."

  2. Categories: Social systems used to organize reality, such as classifying certain animals as "pets" while others are "livestock."

  3. Binaries: Oversimplified classifications that divide the world into two opposing groups (e.g., legal/illegal, male/female), often privileging one over the other.

  4. Associations: Linking a symbol to a broader movement or identity, like the rainbow flag's association with LGBTQIA+ pride.

  5. Sequences: The "social clock" or chronological order of life events, such as the expectation that one should graduate, marry, and then buy a house.

  6. Hierarchies: Social rankings that assign more power or value to certain roles, such as the relationship between a CEO and an entry-level employee.

Socialization and Behavioral Norms

Socialization is the lifelong process through which we learn the values and norms of our society.

  • Beliefs: Specific ideas that people hold to be true (e.g., "Hard work leads to success").

  • Values: Broad cultural principles defining what is desirable or "good" (e.g., freedom, equality).

  • Norms: Concrete rules for behavior. These are divided into:

    • Mores: Norms that are widely observed and have great moral significance.

    • Folkways: Everyday customs or traditional ways of doing things (e.g., appropriate attire for a lecture). Violating a folkway leads to minor social disapproval, like a "side-eye," rather than formal punishment.

  • Resocialization: The process by which one's sense of social values, beliefs, and norms are re-engineered, often occurring during major life transitions like starting university.