Sociology of Addiction — Addicted to Sociology: Why I Do This Blog

Teaser

I’m starting this project because I can’t stop asking a simple question with complicated answers: what does society have to do with addiction? This blog is my public lab—where I think aloud, test ideas, and build a book—drawing on classical sociology, contemporary theory, psychology, medicine, and economics. And of course: Reflect my own experiences with a widely socially accepted drug: alcohol.

Why I’m here

I was shaped by teachers and texts that refuse easy explanations. Norman Braun, Jutta Allmendinger, Ulrich Beck, Armin Nassehi, Debra Minkoff, and many more trained me in Munich to see social phenomena, social problems, social inequalities like (any form of) drug use through the lens of local rationality—people optimize under constraints, even when outcomes harm them (Braun 2002). Jack London’s John Barleycorn gave me literary honesty about intoxication’s seductions and costs (London 1913/2010). Gabor Maté’s lecture taught me to read addiction as a response to pain and disconnection (Maté 2010). Their threads converge in what I love about sociology: we explain without reducing—holding brains, biographies, and institutions together.

Addicted to sociology (and why that helps)

Sociology is my antidote to fatalism. When I say I’m “addicted to sociology,” I mean I keep returning to its concepts because they open possibility: if addiction is socially patterned and governed, then social worlds can be rebuilt.

With Durkheim, one can see how weak integration/regulation breeds private coping rituals (Durkheim 1897/1951).
With Weber, you might ask how rationalized work and role strain make quick relief feel “reasonable” (Weber 1922/1978).
With Bourdieu, you can trace habitus and tastes—why the same ethanol signifies pride in one field and shame in another (Bourdieu 1979/1984).
With Foucault, sociology examines discipline, biopolitics, and confession—how we are invited to manage ourselves and tell truths about our cravings (Foucault 1975; 1976).
With Becker, you are able to follow moral careers and the power of labels (Becker 1963).

This mix lets me treat addiction as practice (what people do), policy target (what institutions count and govern), and story (what people must say to be heard and helped).

What this blog will do

Theory in focus. Short, accessible profiles of classic and contemporary thinkers, always asking: what do they change in how we see addiction?
Case memos [HYPOTHESIS]. Carefully anonymized vignettes that put theory to work.
Methods windows. Grounded Theory notes, coding moves, small visual maps.
Policy briefs. Concise syntheses on pricing, availability, harm reduction, and stigma.
Press review. Curated updates with sociological takeaways.

How I think: a Grounded Theory workflow

Like my other projects, I work Grounded Theory–style: reading, memoing, coding, comparing, theorizing. I publish memos in public, so concepts remain provisional until the evidence stabilizes them (Glaser & Strauss 1967). The outline grows with the project: I will revise earlier posts when new materials shift the map.

Ethics and stance

Three commitments guide me:

Anti-stigma. I avoid language that collapses people into diagnoses; I emphasize situations and structures.
Harm reduction. Safer use, treatment access, and social protection are baselines—not endpoints.
Reflexivity. I disclose my position and methods; when I use generative vignettes, I mark them [HYPOTHESIS].

Why now?

We live in an attention economy that engineers compulsion, a care system strained by inequality, and an information landscape where certainty sells. A sociological lens helps me resist both moralism and neuro-determinism. It keeps me with the human in the middle—the person in a field of forces—and it keeps policy accountable to evidence and justice.

How I use AI (co-author disclosure)

I collaborate with an AI assistant for outlining, synthesis, and draft polishing. I remain responsible for concept selection, verification, and argument; any generative case fragments are marked [HYPOTHESIS]. This partnership lets me iterate faster while keeping scholarly standards.

Literature & Links

Becker, H. S. (1963). Outsiders: Studies in the Sociology of Deviance. Free Press.
Publisher page (Simon & Schuster): link. (Simon & Schuster)
Bourdieu, P. (1977). Outline of a Theory of Practice. Cambridge University Press.
Publisher page: link. (Cambridge University Press & Assessment)
Bourdieu, P. (1979/1984). Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste. Harvard University Press.
Publisher page: link. (Harvard University Press)
Braun, N. (2002). Rationalität und Drogenproblematik. De Gruyter Oldenbourg.
Publisher page: link. (De Gruyter Brill)
Durkheim, É. (1897/1951). Suicide: A Study in Sociology. Free Press.
Authoritative catalog record (Free Press 1951): WorldCat · Modern publisher e-book page (Routledge/T&F): link. (WorldCat)
Foucault, M. (1975/1977). Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison.
Publisher page (Penguin Random House): link · Penguin UK: link. (PenguinRandomhouse.com)
Foucault, M. (1976/1978). The History of Sexuality, Vol. 1.
Publisher page (Penguin Random House): link · Penguin UK: link. (PenguinRandomhouse.com)
Glaser, B. G., & Strauss, A. L. (1967). The Discovery of Grounded Theory. Aldine.
Current publisher page (Routledge/Transaction): link. (Routledge)
London, J. (1913/2010). John Barleycorn. Modern Library.
Publisher page (Penguin Random House / Modern Library): link. (PenguinRandomhouse.com)
Maté, G. (2010). In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction. North Atlantic Books.
Publisher page: link · Author’s page: link. (North Atlantic Books)
Weber, M. (1922/1978). Economy and Society. University of California Press.
Publisher page: link. (University of California Press)

Status: Essay v1.0 (WordPress-ready).
Checks: Style, APA in-text cues, series template aligned. Links reuse verified publisher pages from earlier posts; remaining links (Durkheim, Weber, Glaser & Strauss) to be added in the next literature pass.
Date: 25 Oct 2025