Synthetic Panics: The Symbolic Politics of Designer Drugs

Jenkins, Philip

ISBN 10: 0814742440 / ISBN 13: 9780814742440

Editore: NYU Press, 1999

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Titolo: Synthetic Panics: The Symbolic Politics of ...

Casa editrice: NYU Press

Data di pubblicazione: 1999

Legatura: paperback

Condizione: New

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Riassunto:

America has a long history of drug panics in which countless social problems have been blamed on the devastating effects of some harmful substance. In the last forty years, such panics have often focused on synthetic or designer drugs, like methamphetamine, PCP, Ecstasy, methcathinone, and rave drugs like ketamine, and GHB. Fear of these substances has provided critical justification for the continuing "war on drugs."
Synthetic Panics traces the history of these anti-drug movements, demonstrating that designer chemicals inspire so much fear not because they are uniquely dangerous, but because they bring into focus deeply rooted public concerns about social and cultural upheaval. Jenkins highlights the role of the mass media in spreading anti-drug hysteria and shows how proponents of the war on drugs use synthetic panics to scapegoat society's "others" and exacerbate racial, class, and intergenerational conflict.

Product Description:

The USA has a long history of blaming social problems on the effects of synthetic drugs. Tracing the history of these anti-drug movements, this book sets out to show that synthetic chemicals inspire so much fear not because they are uniquely dangerous, but because they bring into focus deeply-rooted public concerns about social and cultural upheaval. The author highlights the role of the communications media in spreading anti-drug scares, and argues that proponents of the war on drugs use synthetic panics to scapegoat society's "others" and exacerbate racial, class and inter-generational conflict.