Blowing Smoke: Status Politics And The Smoking Band

Question 1

Summary of blowing smoke: status politics and the smoking band by justin l ruffle and Malcolm d Holmes

Answer 1

The development of rules in American society is a process
It involves a variety of social actors:
• Rule Creators: Moral Crusader
–Absolute universalism about a given behavior
–Benevolent motives (do-gooder; busybody - WCTU)
–Upper echelon of society (adds credence to their moral advocacy – follow our rules & you, too, may be like us)
–Focus of crusade is targeted toward behavior associated with lower status groups
–Developing public awareness of social problem
–Crusaders more interested in Ends than the Means
–Rise of experts (professionals) in making rules (sometimes undermines original motive)
–18th Amendment (1919)
–Smoking ban?

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Is the association of tobacco with lower-status persons a factor in the crusade against smoking in public places?
●Historically, attempts to control psychoactive substances have linked their use to categories of relatively powerless people:
●marijuana & Mexican Americans
●opiates & Asians
●alcohol & immigrant Catholics
●Recent evidence has shown that occupational status, education, and family income are related negatively to current smoking
●Relationship of occupation & education to smoking have become stronger

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Moral entrepreneurs vs
status quo defenders
●Moral entrepreneurs crusading for ban argued that secondhand smoke damages public health and that people have a right to a smoke-free environment
●Status quo defenders countered that smokers have a constitutional right to indulge wherever and whenever they see fit