"Pursuit of Ecstasy: The MDMA Experience"

Paper Summary:

This paper provides a well-researched book review of a work which focuses on the phenomenon of ecstasy use. The paper approaches this as a social and cultural phenomenon and discusses it according to theories of deviance, subculture, and social control. The work is reviewed in light of major social theorists and their ideas.

From the Paper:

"Ecstasy, or MDMA, is a fairly new drug; its popularity is a relatively new phenomenon. It does not occur naturally, and is the product of a laboratory. It was initially implemented as a therapy tool for husbands and wives who were not getting along and who needed help overcoming their repression and psychological boundaries. It has since entered the public realm of illicit drug culture, and is one of the most widely used illicit chemicals today. Because MDMA as a social phenomenon is a relatively new development, it can be studied effectively and chronologically. There has been only about twenty years for the myths to be constructed, for people to use it widely, and for others to experiment recreationally. For this reason, the study "The Pursuit of Ecstasy: The MDMA Experience" by Jerome Beck ad Marsha Rosenbaum (1994) is a well-timed one, because it is able to examine the subculture of Ecstasy users and find out what these early explorers of the MDMA experience have to say. The book is based on hundreds of interviews describing first hand the experience of MDMA use; it describes the ups, the downs, and the overall social experience that has come from MDMA use in these people. The cross section of samples is surprisingly large, and its varied nature demonstrates the in-depth research which was conducted."

More papers on "Pursuit of Ecstasy: The MDMA Experience":

• Article Review # 144230 : "Review of "Refocusing the Tourist Experience"
• Article Review # 144220 : "Article Critique of "Refocusing the Tourist Experience"
• Term Paper # 135068 : "Education and the Rewards of the Immigrant Experience"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: