Sociology Compass
February 1, 2022
Timothy Andrews, Katie Wright
37 citations
Psychedelic compounds are nearing medical approval for treatment-resistant mental health disorders, offering a new paradigm for depression, anxiety, addiction, and PTSD. This article applies a sociological lens to the medicalisation of psychedelic-assisted therapies, examining three key areas: the role of advocacy in destigmatising psychedelics and advancing research; issues of medicalisation and pharmaceuticalisation; and integration into healthcare systems. It highlights challenges and affordances for existing therapeutic models, regulation, and monetisation, and considers the socio-political context of the pharmaceutical industry, research, investment, and implementation. The work argues that the novelty, stigma, and regulatory hurdles of psychedelic therapies urgently require sociological scrutiny.
Sociology Compass
August 1, 2025
Jarrett Robert Rose
1 citation
Howard Becker's early sociological work on drug use—studying how people learn to become marijuana users and how social context shapes LSD experiences—remains relevant for today's psychedelic research. While clinical trials show therapeutic promise, sociological perspectives on naturalistic psychedelic use are underdeveloped. This paper revisits Becker's concept of a "drug-using subculture" to analyze contemporary psychedelic retreats, where participants collectively "learn to get high." The author argues that studying these retreats as social spaces can inspire a renewed sociology of psychedelics for the 21st century, bridging gaps between clinical research and real-world, non-clinical use.
Sociology Compass
February 26, 2025
Heith Copes, Haley Copeland, Lynne M. Vieraitis et al.
People accused of cultural appropriation often resist the label by either denying that cultural appropriation exists or by claiming that their own actions are respectful and therefore not appropriative. An ethnographic study of individuals attending peyote ceremonies—a sacred Native American practice—in a Southern U.S. state found that participants used these two strategies to maintain a positive identity and avoid stigma. Those who denied appropriation argued that peyote is for everyone, while those who acknowledged appropriation as a concept insisted that their respectful conduct exempted them from being appropriators. The findings highlight how broader narratives help people minimize accusations of harm.