Street Drug Trade Is One of the Most Important Social Institutions for Young People in DetroitFrom his perspective, Bergmann writes that the street drug is one of the most important social institutions for young people in Detroit. As an institution, the drug dealings and everything surrounding it are becoming a transforming force taking people in a certain way of life and perception. Detroit is known to be a major region of the drug trade, including heroin. Like any other society, it suffers consequences of this in many ways, including the economic, cultural, social, and even psychological repercussions arising from the presence of the drug. Drugs are commonly effective and, in some way, change the way people behave, live, and interact. This is seen from his submission that "drug dealing governed the seasonal cycles of their lives and taught them about the nature and power of the state, capitalism and family." (p.13). As for Detroit, unlike many other cities, there is extensive drug trade among the people; this made Bergmann consider it as a social institution for the young people (Bergmann, 2010).

Bergmann is categorical of the lives of Rodney Phelps and Dude Freeman, who are engaged in drugs from a very tender age, grows with it, sails through its challenges and repercussions, and know can relay the story, with them not being the only examples but also those related to them. Rodney and Freeman are born into a society of drug abuse and trafficking. They are raised in this kind of life. They learn everything in this city, apparently called the chocolate city, but with nothing to see as a chocolate other than a rough violent and drug-filled society. In their family, Dude and Rodney are begin drug dealing at a young age, and grow with the same stories all the way to their old age. The drugs, in one way of another, have shaped everything they have done and engaged in life. This is evident when he writes, "It's just a street. It's just a sign at the end of a pole. It's been there for over a hundred years and never did nothing to anybody" (p.282)

Dude's story begins with drugs while he is only sixteen. This is during his time of incarceration after conceding charges of concealed weapon within a juvenile facility. This follows from his release to the next trial, which happens a few years later after he accidentally shot a neighborhood fixture called Walker. Bergmann (2010) writes, "Dude shook his head inn acknowledgement and measurement of the gravity of his circumstances and the story he was telling. 'the bullet went right through the floor... it hit Walker right in the top of his head. Come out of his chin'" (p.143). In contrast, Rodney's story starts at this particular facility where he is acquitted and later released only up to the next time he finds himself in a corner he once plied the trade of dealing drugs, trying to construct a meaningful life.

These two young men have similar stories, all shaped and configured by their social participation in drugs. It seems like participating in drugs is a way of life in this society. No one is in dire strength and intention to stop the young people from becoming disillusioned into the habit of drugs. It seems like drug...

Only a few people are responsible enough to shun drugs and try other ways of making a livelihood for them and their families. All the young people have been taken into drugs from where they strive to make a living. Perhaps, this explains the widespread violence and crime making most of the young people to be at home dealing drugs or waiting to be arrested and taken to the juvenile correctional facilities for various crimes all related to drug dealings.
The friend and relatives of these two young boys almost have the same stories for their lives and the lives of other close friends and relatives. These relative detail some of the key aspects of the attitudes and contradictions of living in Detroit's inner city. In this city, almost everything has been designed to take the course of drug behavior and activities, notably propagated into the lives of the young people. The young people have been made to design ways and means of making drug-dealing part of their complete lives. For instance, the city has been differentiated regarding the "spots" and "houses." Spots are the places where drug dealings take place while houses are places where people live (Bergmann, 2010, p.261).

Drug deals are done and accomplished at the spots. Drugs are not found at home neither is the dealings done in the houses. It has almost become an institution where different departments deal with specific tasks, but for a common purpose. The purpose of drug dealing here is the caused by the poor states of living albeit financial struggles. Thus, the young people are trying to make ends meet by seeing drug dealing as the probable and successful venture they can ever get. It has become like an institution that people attend with the intention of seeing a better and improved future some days to come.

Most of the places where drug dealings are done are located and marked specificity for this purpose. They should never be places where people live. This makes it easy for those involved to have their humble time dealing with drugs, be it while consuming them are trading them. As the mother to Dude, Ruby has tried her best to keep away drugs from her home. Nonetheless, she has not managed to stop the son from dealing in drugs. She deals in genuine medical drugs as a way of trying to make a living. She refuses to give into the selling of illegal narcotics in her house. Even though the son is dealing drugs, she refuses it be part of it. This is contrary to the son who sees this business as worthy to access a living. This is just an example of a family that is struggling to stay away from something that is already taken root in the city. Rudy is aware of the dangers of dealing with illegal narcotics.

Many families are in this state of life. They are forced to accept what has become something like a universal happening in the society. The families are composed of members, some of which are dealing with the drugs while others are against them. Thus, as much as one would try to stay away from drugs, he or she will also work hard to ensure life is better without drugs. The families have been challenged to accept this as there seems to be nothing that can be…