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Scrapbook Makenzie Ashley University of South Carolina

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1. “High hopes: The marijuana movement’s 2014 playbook” Introduction: Proponents who wish to legalize marijuana are feeling more ambitious as the year 2014 approaches. Now that two states, Washington and Colorado, have opened the door for legalization, the discussions are becoming much more prevalent for lawmakers and lobbyist. The article, “High hopes: The marijuana movement’s 2014 playbook” provides insight on the new tactics and aims of the cannabis campaign. Rational Exchange Theory provides insight as to why policymakers and certain business owners are fighting for the legalization of the commonly used drug. In addition, this article specifically relates to a piece that was read in class about how illegal drug use is on the rise. Summary: According to the article, the year 2014 is going to be a big year for the legalization of marijuana in targeted states. The cannabis discussion is a hot topic among politicians and various businesses that deal with marijuana. Due to the legalization of the drug in two western states, the topic has brought on a new level of legitimacy. The article makes the argument that the legalization of marijuana has various benefits, while focusing heavily on its potential economic impact. The ArcView Group, an advisory firm that connects cannabisindustry entrepreneurs, conducted research and found that legalized marijuana is one of the fastest growing markets in the U.S. with expected profits around $2.34 billion in the next year (Green, 2013). The article also states that campaigners want to take advantage of the current public opinion of marijuana. After all, it is the people who vote on the issue but it is the responsibility of the politicians to have to get it on the ballot. Theory Application: According to the text, the rational/social exchange theory is based on the assumptions that human beings have the capacity to reason, make choices based on

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consideration of available alternatives and anticipated consequences, and act in their own best interest (Johnson & Rhodes, 2007). While considering the motives of businesses and policymakers, they are making their judgments based off of the research and rewards of the potential legalization. The article discusses one of the multiple bills that are in the works right now that will directly benefit marijuana related businesses. According to the bill, it aims to level the playing field for companies who deal with marijuana, currently businesses that deal with marijuana function at an 87.5 percent tax rate, while other businesses function at 35 percent (Green, 2014). With that in mind, it only seems rational that these businesses support the legislation that would give them a tax break. If the campaigners are dedicated and intentional, 2014 may in fact be an influential and successful year for the marijuana movement. Course Comparison: The article written by Green both affirms and challenges a supplemental reading we read in class entitled, “Illegal drug use is higher than in nearly a decade, report finds” by Sam Hananel. I would claim the article written by Green seeks to inform and provide insight as to why the legalization of marijuana would be beneficial; where as the article written by Hananel seeks to scold society for the increase of illegal drug use. Sam Hananel interviewed Gil Kerlikowske, the director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy who stated that using marijuana as medicine has sent the absolute wrong message to our young people (Hananel, 2010). Kerlikowske does not seem to agree with the morphing attitudes towards marijuana, but both articles speak to the evidence that proves the attitudes are in fact changing regardless of the director’s hesitant thoughts. The article written by Green speaks to how campaigners want to take full advantage of these changing thoughts in order to push their agenda forward. I too would agree that if there were a time to push for the legalization of marijuana, it would be now.

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2. “Catch a cold, go to jail: The recidivism debate” Introduction: The Times editorial board came together to compose “Catch a cold, go to jail: The recidivism debate” in late November of this year. California is having a strikingly difficult time keeping parolees out of jail. While considering Structural Functionalism, it is evident the state of California is having a hard time rehabilitating its inmates. Instead, they are attempting to punish them for falling short. Additionally, the article can be connected to a piece that was assigned regarding incarceration and individuals attempting to capitalize on this unfortunate societal failure to rehabilitate inmates. Summary: The authors find that California is clearly struggling to keep their parolees out of the criminal justice system once they are released. The article first points out the discrepancies with the word recidivism, and articulate that it does not have a universal meaning which in return makes it difficult to get accurate data to support or disprove its legitimacy. Nonetheless, it can be concluded that more often than not, parolees are often put back in jail according to the article. With that in mind, California actually does not have any higher rates than any other state, but strict criminal justice policies do not extend forgiveness to repeat offenders. Why they are put back in jail is where the article focuses its attention. It states that technicalities such as missing an appointment or a failed drug test is considered to be a full-scale relapse, but they question if putting them back in jail is necessary. The article states that these technicalities are the equivalent of them ‘catching a cold,’ not fully falling victim to the same crime but indeed puts them right back in jail (The Times editorial board, 2013). The article decrees that the counties need to focus more heavily on whether or not the treatment works than focusing on the small technicalities.

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Theory Application: According to Ritzer, Structural Functionalism can be described as the following, “The primary concern of societal functionalism is the large-scale social structures and institutions of society, their interrelationships, and the constraining effect on actors” (1988). Upon reading the article, it was evident that California is having a difficult time solving the issue of recidivism through the Structural Functionalism lense. It appears their criminal justice system is focusing primarily on punishment and not rehabilitation. If the parolees were fully rehabilitated, it would be less likely that they re-enter the prison system and in return lowering the recidivism rates. The Times editorial board makes the same declaration, “The attorney general and the counties would be wise to focus less on recidivism rates and more on an inmate’s reentry into society after incarceration…” (2013). It appears that to maintain the functionality of society’s institutions, a rehabilitation effort is necessary. Course Comparison: According to a hearing held by the Joint Economic Committee of the United States, an article written by the Times editorial board has a good point. It appears the committee has the same idea as the critiques of California’s justice system. The following statement was made in the hearing, “As we have gotten tough on crime, we have given up on rehabilitating offenders. And we have created additional barriers to reentry with invisible punishments” (Joint Committee, 2007). Six years ago, a committee of government officials made the same observation as the editorial committee. Unfortunately, it seems that none of them have made a strong enough argument that rehabilitation provides a greater chance for inmates to succeed than punishing them and putting them behind bars.

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3. “Study: Black workers are happier than whites” Introduction: The article discusses a study that was conducted on government employees in the state of Tennessee and their satisfaction on the job; the results were shocking to the author. The article suggests that the two races have different expectations on the job, which can be explained through a Social Constructionism Theory standpoint. Furthermore, Haley-Lock and Shah complement this article through their writings on the public work experience. Summary: The author of the article reported on the findings of the study conducted by Melissa Sloan, an assistant professor at the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee. Luscombe found the findings of the study to be surprising because black workers often have fewer close friends in the workplace, less autonomy, and feel less supported by colleagues according to the study (2013). The article presented the idea that African American and Caucasian workers look for different aspects of a job to fulfill them. The article found that both races were depressed when their work was routine and they had little interactions with others, but only white workers got bummed out with their jobs lacked autonomy and flexibility. Whereas, black workers found satisfaction when they had the opportunity to help out a colleague. White workers on the other hand, did not feel the same joy from being asked to help out their coworkers (Luscombe, 2013). The author of the study suggested that black workers felt included when asked to assist a coworker and felt a sense of value; while white workers felt that being asked to assist a coworker was more of a burden (Luscombe, 2013). Theory Application: Social Contructionsim is based on the assumption that there is no objective reality; rather reality is defined by perceptions and is socially constructed. The theory suggests that reality is socially constructed through social interaction and people act in accordance with their constructed reality (Johnson & Rhodes, 2010). The article implies that the

SCRAPBOOK expectations of a job can be attributed to the race and perception of what they deserve in the position. Due to societal standards, Caucasian workers expect more power out of a position where as African American workers yearn for a sense of belonging and worth. This could be attributed to how each individual has viewed and interacted with society in past work experiences, and constructed their ideal expectations. The article touches on the idea that government jobs are not by any means sought after positions, thus some white employees feel they are better suited elsewhere, maybe even a private sector job. The article’s conclusion suggests that in no way is it suggesting all African American workers and upbeat and enthusiastic, and all Caucasian workers are resentful, but it does speak to their outlook on the job, which can be connected to their social construction of the job (Luscombe, 2013). Course Comparison: Haley-Lock and Shah present a research article on how public and private employers shape the low-wage work experience, which can directly relate to that of government related positions noted in the Luscombe newspaper article. The Haley-Lock and Shah article provides extensive research about low-wage work environments and policy that directly affects the workers and their families. The authors write, “Well-resourced families may be reasonably equipped to buffer workers in their encounters with difficult working conditions. Poor working families, in contrast, often lack this cushion” (Haley-Lock & Shah, 2007). As mentioned in the Luscombe article, African American workers encounter the lack of relational support, which can be a difficult environment to work in. In return, these workers construct the perception that they being asked to help a coworker in a task can create an integrated work environment. The Haley-Lock and Shah article clearly supplements the Luscombe article by providing tangible examples of the types of factors that influence social perceptions of job satisfaction.

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4. “The Supremes take on religion and health care” Introduction: Baker wrote this article in response to the recent health care debate about birth control. The Affordable Care Act mandates businesses to provide their employees with access to standard forms of birth control, in addition to other forms of preventative care but some employers are outraged that they are required to provide such options. The article clearly exhibits the thought process through the Rational Exchange Theory lenses. “The Supremes take on religion and health care” serves as a supplement to readings in the text by Johnson and Rhodes. Summary: “The Supremes take on religion and health care” provides a recent account of corporate companies wanting to deny coverage of specific medical treatments to their employees, of which their employees are legally entitled (Baker, 2013). Although the medical community strongly endorses employee’s rights to birth control and preventative care, some companies feel their religious affiliations serves as an even stronger reason to not provide such coverage. The article provides accounts for credible professionals as to why it is important the employers provide such options, including the president of Planned Parenthood and the Director of Reproductive Health for the National Health Law Program. They all agree the right to take birth control or abstain from taking such contraceptives is the right of the individual and not the company’s. Baker notes that the federal court will be hearing the unprecedented case of Hobby Lobby vs. Sebelius but the votes will likely be split. The objection to the case is that personal beliefs deserve more protection than the needs of individual employees. The article states, the Hobby Lobby decision will decide whether religious expressions should take priority over federal law (Baker, 2013). Theory Application: The article clearly expresses the Rational Exchange Theory process of conceptualization. According to the text, Rational Exchange Theory is based on the

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assumptions that human beings have capacity to reason, make choices based on those considerations. Often the benefits can be identified only for specific groups but are for the individual’s best interest (Johnson & Rhodes, 2010). Each side of the argument would claim they are making a reasonable opposition based on what it important to them. Specifically, Hobby Lobby’s owners are basing their reasoning off of their religious affiliation. The government on the other hand thinks that they are providing a well-endorsed service to employees. As mentioned in the definition, the benefits identified are generally for the individual’s best interest rather than the group. This could be said for the owners of Hobby Lobby, although their argument is well respected by some, not offering birth control options to their employees is not for the groups best interest. Course Comparison: The text explicitly discusses religion as a social institution, in order to understand the rationality behind Hobby Lobby’s argument; it is helpful to understand the power of religion in some individual’s lives. Johnson and Rhodes declare the following, “Religions typically include three elements: beliefs, practices (ritual), and a community of believers. Most formal religions also include norms or rules for how people should live” (2010). With this knowledge in mind, it is no shock that the social institutions of religion and government overlap. According to a study conducted by Gallup Organization on behalf of Baylor University, only about ten percent of Americans had no ties to a congregation, denomination, or faith group (Johnson & Rhodes, 2010). This statement makes Hobby Lobby’s argument more credible to the people, because it is likely that other business owners follow a religion that will impact their thoughts on offering birth control to its employees.

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5. “Brooklyn pantry struggling to help fill gap left by federal cuts to food stamps” Introduction: Food insecurity is a pertinent problem among the working class in New York according to the article entitled, “Brooklyn pantry struggling to help fill gap left by federal cuts to food stamps” written by Patrick McGeehan (2013). The article attributes the struggle to federal cuts to food stamps and the lack of charitable donations. A Conflict Theory analysis of the article provides insight on how the working class is being further separated from the uppermiddle class by losing financial assistance. The article is closely connected to a reading that discussed charitable giving in a different light. Summary: The article being evaluated was written in direct response to the recent cuts to food stamps, it provides a specific account where the cuts have been detrimental to a city in New York. As of November 1st, five billion dollars was cut from food stamps, equating to twenty-nine dollars per month for the families currently receiving food stamps, which is enough for at least twenty individual meals (McGeehan, 2013). These numbers may not seem like a high amount of money, but it is a substantial amount of money for a family who is barely getting by. Due to these cuts, the article mentions that families, who would normally rely on their food stamps to cover the gap, now have to seek out additional resources such as the Bedford-Stuyvesant pantry. The article also categorizes the families being affected by the federal cuts to be “working class,” which is important to consider while thinking about Conflict Theory. In addition, the article mentions that the director of the food pantry had to plea for additional donations from both individuals and other food pantries to provide for their clients over the Thanksgiving holiday. Theory Application: Conflict Theory is a common form of conceptualization, according to it’s definition, Conflict Theorist argue that social systems are not united or harmonious, but are divided by class, gender, race, or other characteristics that reflect differences in social power

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as much as anything else (Johnson & Rhodes, 2010). This definition directly relates to the article in the sense that federal cuts to food stamps affect one class of people in particular. The government officials who make the decision to make cuts to food stamps are generally uppermiddle class individuals, not the working poor who need financial assistance to get by. This article provides an account of Conflict Theory being put into play. Joel Berg, the executive director of the New York City Coalition Against Hunger stated, “There is no greater disconnect between the broader economic indicators and the fact that there is absolutely no recovery in any meaningful way for low-income New Yorkers” (2013). This disheartening statement unfortunately follows the definition of Conflict Theory by articulating that no matter what state the economy is in, it will always seek to deny working class individuals an opportunity to succeed. Course Comparison: Buffets’s article touches on both the rise on inequalities among the classes and the amount of nonprofit companies seeking donations in the article entitled, “The charitable-industrial complex.” Buffet states, “There are plenty of statistics that tell us that inequality is continually rising” (2013). Unfortunately, this statement adds credibility to McGeehan’s article that notes the inequalities among New Yorkers. He also states that at the same time, the nonprofit sector is steadily on the rise, which means charitable donations are desperately needed. Although Buffet also speaks to the character of the individuals who generally seek to benefit from making charitable donations, the main point is that these donations are a must if these nonprofit companies want to assist in filling the gap that further separates the poor from the rich.

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Baker, M. (2013, November 25). The supremes take on religion and health care. Newsweek. Retrieved from http://www.newsweek.com/everybody-should-worry-about-supremecourt-contraception-case-207250 Buffet, P. (2013, July 26). The charitable-industrial complex. The New York Times. Green, M. (2014, November 26). High hopes: The marijuana movement's 2014 playbook. The Atlantic. Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/11/highhopes-the-marijuana-movements-2014-playbook/281830/ Haley-Lock, A. & Shah, M. (2007) Protecting vulnerable workers: How public policy and private employers shape the contemporary low-wage work experience. Hananel, S. (2010, September 6). Illegal drug use is higher than in nearly a decade, report finds. NBC News. Johnson, M. M. & Rhodes, R. (2010). Human behavior and the large social environment: A new synthesis (2nd ed.) Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Joint Committee. Congress of United States, (2007). Mass incarceration in the united states: At what cost? (110-299). Washington : US Government Printing Office Luscombe, B. (2013, December 5). Study: Black workers are happier than whites. Time. Retrieved from http://healthland.time.com/2013/12/05/study-black-workers-are-happierthan-whites/ McGeehan, P. (2013, November 25). Brooklyn pantry struggling to help fill gap left by federal cuts to food stamps. NY Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/26/ nyregion/brooklyn-pantry-struggling-to-help-fill-gap-left-by-federal-cuts-to-foodstamps.html?ref=nyregion&r=0

SCRAPBOOK Ritzer, G. (1998). Chapter seven: Structural functionalism, neofunctionalism, and the conflict theory alternative. In G. Ritzer Sociological theory (2nd ed., pp200-241). New York: Knopf The times editorial board. (2013, November 26). Catch a cold, go to prison: The recidivism debate. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials

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