Substance Use in Muslim Culture: Social and Generational Changes in Acceptance and Practice in Jordan

Abstract

Through narrative analysis, this paper explores the changes in acceptance of and response to substance use in Muslim culture by evaluating data collected in qualitative interviews in Jordan in 2013. What is known and unknown about substance use in Muslim culture throughout the Arab world from previous research findings provides a foundation from which to explore new perspectives and compare themes between younger and older generations in Jordan. Trends of social change and behavioral expression influenced by dramatic political and social upheaval in the Arab world in the last 5 years will also be evaluated for the way in which they may be influencing both substance use and its acceptance among young adults in this population. Recommendations for future research and work in this area are also provided based on these findings.

Age Patterns in Risk Taking Across the World

“…Further, some countries forbid specific behaviors for religious reasons. Drinking alcohol, for example, is prohibited in some Muslim countries, markedly reducing the prevalence of drinking (Mauseth, Skalisky, Clark, and Kaffer 2016). Public health practices are also important influences on risk behaviors; in some African countries that have exceptionally high rates of HIV/AIDS, access to condoms may be a stronger predictor of sexual risk taking (Hendriksen, Pettifor, Lee, Coates, and Rees 2007) than psychological factors such as impulsivity (Maticka-Tyndale and Tenkorang 2010).…”

The Normalization of Cannabis Use Among Bangladeshi and Pakistani Youth: A New Frontier for the Normalization Thesis?

“…Moreover, with the mass migration of different Muslim groups from Arab states and Africa across Europe and into Britain, we may witness this trend within these populations in the future. Indeed, Mauseth et al (2015) have found young Muslims in Jordan are beginning to accommodate cannabis consumption. Further research with Asian Muslim communities is required to estimate prevalence and answer questions relating to onset, persistence, desistance, drug preferences, and the role alcohol plays in young people's lives.…”

Interaction of reward seeking and self-regulation in the prediction of risk taking: A cross-national test of the dual systems model.

“…On the one hand, it might be that changes in reward seeking and self-regulation are universal features of adolescent development driven mainly by the biology of the period (Spear, 2013). On the other hand, it is sensible to speculate that factors such as religion in Muslim countries (Mauseth, Skalisky, Clark, & Kaffer, 2016) and the strong emphasis on self-regulation in many Asian countries (Chaudhary & Sharma, 2012; Chen, Cen, Li, & He, 2005; Weisz, Chaiyasit, Weiss, Eastman, & Jackson, 1993) moderate how reward seeking and self-regulation influence risk-taking in adolescence. Cross-cultural tests of the dual systems model can shed light on the external validity of the model, deepen our understanding of adolescent risk-taking, and inform longstanding questions about the relative contributions of biology and culture to the course of adolescent behavioral development more generally.…”