Critical Essay: Social Processes and Relations in Heroin Marketplaces

This essay analyzes the social dynamics of drug markets, focusing on the exchange processes within a heroin marketplace. Drawing upon Dwyer's research, the essay explores how social relations shape the market, challenging traditional supply-and-demand models. The introduction emphasizes the importance of understanding the complex social processes and relations that underpin these markets, highlighting the role of cultural understanding and power differentials. The main body of the essay examines cigarette exchange and its parallel to drug transactions, illustrating how these exchanges build social relationships and regulate the marketplace. The essay also discusses the impact of social hierarchy, communication, and mutual obligation in fostering the growth of the drug trade. The conclusion emphasizes that social processes are integral to the functioning of drug markets, influencing the behaviors of individuals within them. The essay emphasizes the importance of anthropology in understanding the complex social dynamics of drug markets and the social relations involved.

Anthropology
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Table of Contents
Introduction...........................................................................................................................................2
Main Context.........................................................................................................................................2
Issues.................................................................................................................................................2
Complex social processes and relations.............................................................................................2
Conclusion.............................................................................................................................................4
References.............................................................................................................................................5

Introduction
The marketplaces of the illegal drugs are produced and reproduced through complex and
dynamic social processes and relations. The dominant conceptions of the drug markets are
being driven by the demand and supply mechanism that largely ignores the constituents of
social relations. The drug markets are being framed by the thinking and behavior of the
market actors that are being comprised through power differentials, cultural understanding,
and social relations.
Main Context
Issues
The stigmatizing and dominant constructions of the heroin sellers and users reveal that they
are engaged in these activities in their everyday life and also face struggles. The cigarette and
heroine exchange between market participants depicts that their behavior plays a significant
role in shaping the market. The exchange is depicted to be a process of social exchange and
drug market is being influenced by cultural and social practices. It is being considered to be a
major concern that people are influenced by these factors (Dwyer, 2011). An examination
was carried out with the Vietnamese heroine users-dealers in a heroine market in the
Footscray, a suburb of the Melbourne. The author was an ethnographer to understand the
social exchange within the drug marketplace. Heroine exchange between the market
participants is similar to the cigarette exchanges. Social exchange theory states that the social
behavior is considered to be the result of the exchange process. The exchange main purpose
is to decrease cost and maximize benefits. People weigh the risks and benefits of social
relationships.
Complex social processes and relations
The social relationship has depicted to be shaping the exchange of drug within the
marketplace. It is being found that most of the drug transactions occurred within the open air
mall of Footscray and dominated by the Aussie customers and Vietnamese dealers. Aussie
consisted of a mixture of people from second generation eastern or southern European
backgrounds and Anglo Celtic. Vietnamese was dealers’ conversations, drug transactions,
and preferred language. The marketplace depicted the participants have to also face
challenges and problems (Dwyer and Moore, 2010). The ethnographic research depicted that

the process of exchange is considered to be very much important because thousands of drug-
related exchanges occur each and every day. The exchanges depicted that there is an
establishment of social relationships which is important for regulating the marketplace. The
involvement of people allows circulating the social processes because these are re-negotiated
and negotiated through the social action. The public nature of the marketplace enabled to
observe the daily lives of the people within the market place. Sharing of smoking assisted to
establish mutuality as it depicts the similarities and differences between people (Somerville,
2012). Cigarettes among smokers are positive gifts as it creates a favorable impression and
assists to foster goodwill. In the drug marketplace of Footscary, the participants managed in
meeting their material desires and purchase heroin on a constant basis with the
implementation of broad range of the creative stratagems. The tobacco supply is low on the
priority list. The repeated offering of cigarettes to smokers increases the interests to
remembers each other. For example, ‘You are here’ or ‘I saw you yesterday’ in order to draw
the connection.
The expansion of social relationship depends on mutual liking or offering broader
satisfaction. The acceptance process is being achieved through the exchange of cigarettes.
Repeated offerings show the willingness to provide cigarettes and willingness of developing a
connection with the people. The request of cigarette can be considered as ‘demand sharing’
rather than ‘give me a cigarette’. Demand sharing shows the relatedness between demander
and donor through the assumption of the right of asking and expecting that the demand would
be met (Tenaglia-Webster, 2009). The business of heroin is also depicted to be growing due
to the enhancement of social relationship. The dealers in the marketplace know very well the
benefit of communicating in the language that is being understood either by the police or
their customers. The development of communication between the market participants and
customers is also supporting the exchange process. The exchange is a significant way in
which individuals maintain and create a social hierarchy. Age, culture, and thinking are the
core features of the social hierarchy. The exchange process enables people to determine each
other in completing the whole process (Chambers, 2011). The market exchange is
characterized by barter or trader and gift exchange or reciprocal characterized by assisting
and sharing relied on the mutual obligation and determined as per the kinship and social
relations. Social relationships have shaped the available opportunities through the exchange
of heroin showing similar social processes in case of cigarette exchange.

Conclusion
The exchange of cigarette and heroine is seen to be achieved with the circulation of the social
process. The development of social relations assists to regulate the business of drugs. People
involved with drugs activities are able to identify and position individuals on the basis of
offerings and exchange.

References
Chambers, C. (2011). Market. 3rd ed. London: A. & C. Black.
Dwyer, R. (2011). The social life of smokes: Processes of exchange in a heroin marketplace.
[online] www.researchgate.net. Available at:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/274074800_The_social_life_of_smokes_Processes
_of_exchange_in_a_heroin_marketplace [Accessed 2 Apr. 2019].
Dwyer, R. and Moore, D. (2010). Beyond neoclassical economics: Social process, agency
and the maintenance of order in an Australian illicit drug marketplace. International Journal
of Drug Policy, 21(5), pp.390-398.
Somerville, P. (2012). Social Relations and Social Exclusion. 3rd ed. Hoboken: Taylor and
Francis.
Tenaglia-Webster, M. (2009). Drugs. 3rd ed. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press/Gage
Cengage.