Bruce Alexander
Bruce Alexander’s findings on drug addiction are startling and are taken with
skepticism because society is deeply rooted in the belief that drugs are the cause for addiction. Humans are told that no other factors are significant enough to debunk this belief. A brief summary of the drug experiment suggests that when in an isolated area, rats were more likely to become addicted to drugs. On the other hand, rats that were in a “rat-park” had the freedom to roam around. The interesting part is that these rats stayed away from drug-treated water. The environment played a huge role on which water the rat was drawn towards. The hypothesis of the findings state that drugs do not start nor intensify the addiction. Instead, addiction to drugs can be attributed to the environment, rather than the drug itself.
The findings show that an individual’s environment is a factor when it comes to drug use and addiction. The environment should not be disregarded when analyzing drug addiction. People never take it into serious consideration because of what they have been told their entire lives; drugs cause addiction. When told this particular belief as kids, no one has the audacity to challenge the mainstream belief. The Wire supports this observation and the findings of Bruce Alexander. Although The Wire is a fictitious TV show, it brings light to a part of America that has been in the shadows and it tries to portray life as close to reality as possible. Environment plays a huge role in the way the characters see themselves. Middle school kids selling drugs is the norm because their environment forces them into these roles. This life is all that they know. This is similar to the rats that were isolated in cages. They had nothing to do in isolation and the experiment gave them two options: drink untreated water or drink water laced with drugs. Sure enough, the rats who lived in an environment that mocked a more natural setting were so distracted with their normal living patterns that they showed no interest in the laced water. Both The Wire and the rat experiment reveal that an environment limits the amount of knowledge one has of life and life outside of that knowledge does not exist because it is not their reality.
After analyzing this information and tying it to The Wire, humans have to ask themselves: are individuals being pacified by the nation’s elites? Are people told to believe certain ideas in order to place them into roles that enhance some sort of untold caste system? How much of what humans believe in today is actually rooted in the truth? Are the lives that people live limited by the cages that society has set up? The answers to these questions are not simple and most likely will never be answered with 100% certainty. What is learned is that individuals should be active critics of the surrounding world and cannot limit themselves to the dictations of their environment.
October 2, 2015 at 2:36 am
I was startled and skeptical at the findings too for the rat experience. It went against everything I learn related to drugs.
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October 2, 2015 at 2:56 am
Based on what you learned as you grew up in today’s culture, do you believe that addiction solely pertains to drugs and alcohol?
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October 3, 2015 at 1:24 am
I liked your observations about the articles and tying them into what we have watched in The Wire. The Wire is a prime example of how environment shapes a subculture.
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October 3, 2015 at 2:02 am
Do you think the systemic classism of the US is perpetuating the isolationist environments that Alexander postulates causes addiction?
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October 3, 2015 at 3:48 am
I like how you connected the rats experiment with the TV series “The Wire”. In how both the rats and the characters from the TV show are isolated and worthless from the rest of society.
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October 3, 2015 at 4:18 am
I was also surprised of how critical environment is for addiction. I honestly always thought the chemical in substances were the cause of addiction. I am happy to hear you were all shocked by this too!
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October 3, 2015 at 4:25 am
Awesome concluding statement! However, I would have enjoyed if their were less questions in the last paragraph, and more declarative statements and opinions.. Also, your blog looks awesome as well. Good job.
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October 3, 2015 at 4:34 am
I’m really not sure that the metaphorical cage our addicts are being put in is really part of anyone’s plan. Rather, I believe that forces driving addiction simply come from a place of ignorance, not malevolence. Certainly our own understanding has been changed from these studies.
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October 3, 2015 at 5:22 am
Great synopsis and connections to The Wire. Why do you think Alexander’s findings are not becoming as widespread as current beliefs on addiction?
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October 3, 2015 at 5:50 am
The environment does make a significant impact on who we turn out to be. A theory in my child development is that we are the products of either our genetics or the environment so it holds true that it is extremely possible that we turn out to be who we are based on what we surround ourselves with. In this regard, we should work to provide proper and balanced environments (whatever that may be) so we may not become addicted to drugs.
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October 4, 2015 at 8:21 pm
I found it interesting that you made readers question whether or not the nations elites are helping create these social cages. I truly believe that they are, and that people have become specimens.
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October 8, 2015 at 3:37 pm
I agree with what was said in the closing statement about people needing to be more active critics on what they hear, understanding that not everything is so black and white. In this case I feel addiction is more of a symptom of a larger problem as it is shown in The Wire. A large community and it’s problems is virtually ignored by its elected officials
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