Reviewing the Connection Between Paradigms and Theories to Understand Adolescent Drug Use

Abstract

Approaches to studying social phenomenon are fundamentally based upon personal beliefs about the nature of knowledge, reality, and order. Scholars, researchers, and practitioners can benefit from utilizing a coherent method that organizes the wide array of perspectives that exist and the theories, practice, prevention interventions, and policies that emerge. Although opinions regarding what constitutes real science vary, this article intends to demonstrate the utility of a multi-paradigmatic framework that may be used to organize theories that address adolescent drug use. Application of practice and implications for research, prevention interventions, and policy are presented.

KEYWORDS:

• substance use
• theories
• youth

Acknowledgments

The author wishes to thank her professor, Dr. F. Ellen Netting, and academic advisor, Dr. Delores Dungee-Anderson, for their invaluable support of and feedback on this paper.