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5. How Student Dealers Rationalize Crime: Mental Gymnastics

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Dorm Room Dealers
This chapter is in the book Dorm Room Dealers
99Woul d you co nsi de r yoursel f a dr ug-dealer?BEE FY:Yeah, but I don’t re all y li ke th e label.What wouldyou ra the r be cal led?BEE FY:I don’tknow. Just I don’tknow.I can’treallythinkof a . . . labelthatI prefer at thetime. . . I don’t rea llyknow. Callmea supplier,or ju st a middlemanor whatever,I do n’tknow.Ascapt uredin th e ab ove exchange, Be efy’s reluctanceto embraceorac know ledge,ev en in confidence, thathe wasa drugdealer exempli-fi esa hallm arkcharacter is ti c amongmembersoftheaffluentCalifornia co ll egi ate dru g-deali ng networkat theheartof thisprojec t.In de ed, wit h only a fewnota bleex cep tio ns (LaCoste’searlier do cu-me nted braggad oci o andbra zenness im mediatelycomesto mind), wefo un d a general fa il ureonthepartof th osewhoknowinglysupplie drat her largequ ant iti es of ille galdr ugsto universallyself-identifyas“dr ug-dealers.”AsGresh am Sy kes andDavidMatzawr otein theirno w cl assic19 50s pieceexamini ng th e denialof criminalculpabilityam ongdeviant sub cultures, “Muchdel inq uencyis basedonwhatisess ent iallyanunrecogni ze d exten si onof def enses to crimes,in th efo rm of justifi ca ti ons fo r de viance thatareseenas validby thedelin-qu ent butno t by the leg al sy stemor societ y at large.”1Pe rh apsbeca use,foral l of our study’sdealers,th eirdrug-dealingca ree rs beganas a recreati onal en terpriseratherthanon e birthedfromne ces si ty or th e desp eration tha t oftenco meswithurbanpoverty,ourde aler s di d no t fee l comfortabl e cla iming thisdeviantstatus.Perhaps5How Student De al ersRa tionalize Crime:Me ntal Gymnastics
© 2022, Lynne Rienner Publishers, Boulder, USA

99Woul d you co nsi de r yoursel f a dr ug-dealer?BEE FY:Yeah, but I don’t re all y li ke th e label.What wouldyou ra the r be cal led?BEE FY:I don’tknow. Just I don’tknow.I can’treallythinkof a . . . labelthatI prefer at thetime. . . I don’t rea llyknow. Callmea supplier,or ju st a middlemanor whatever,I do n’tknow.Ascapt uredin th e ab ove exchange, Be efy’s reluctanceto embraceorac know ledge,ev en in confidence, thathe wasa drugdealer exempli-fi esa hallm arkcharacter is ti c amongmembersoftheaffluentCalifornia co ll egi ate dru g-deali ng networkat theheartof thisprojec t.In de ed, wit h only a fewnota bleex cep tio ns (LaCoste’searlier do cu-me nted braggad oci o andbra zenness im mediatelycomesto mind), wefo un d a general fa il ureonthepartof th osewhoknowinglysupplie drat her largequ ant iti es of ille galdr ugsto universallyself-identifyas“dr ug-dealers.”AsGresh am Sy kes andDavidMatzawr otein theirno w cl assic19 50s pieceexamini ng th e denialof criminalculpabilityam ongdeviant sub cultures, “Muchdel inq uencyis basedonwhatisess ent iallyanunrecogni ze d exten si onof def enses to crimes,in th efo rm of justifi ca ti ons fo r de viance thatareseenas validby thedelin-qu ent butno t by the leg al sy stemor societ y at large.”1Pe rh apsbeca use,foral l of our study’sdealers,th eirdrug-dealingca ree rs beganas a recreati onal en terpriseratherthanon e birthedfromne ces si ty or th e desp eration tha t oftenco meswithurbanpoverty,ourde aler s di d no t fee l comfortabl e cla iming thisdeviantstatus.Perhaps5How Student De al ersRa tionalize Crime:Me ntal Gymnastics
© 2022, Lynne Rienner Publishers, Boulder, USA

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter i
  2. Contents v
  3. Acknowledgments vii
  4. 1. Overlooked Illegal Markets: Dealing Dope, College Style 1
  5. 2. The Primary Market: Dealing Marijuana, Cocaine, and Party Drugs 17
  6. 3. Why Rich Kids Sell Street Drugs: Wankstaz, Wannabes, and Capitalists in Training 41
  7. 4. The Emerging Market: Peddling Prescription Drugs 63
  8. 5. How Student Dealers Rationalize Crime: Mental Gymnastics 99
  9. 6. Perceived and Actual Risks for College Drug Dealers: Un-Risky Business 123
  10. 7. Conclusions and Epilogue: No Dreams Deferred 169
  11. Bibliography 185
  12. Index 195
  13. About the Book 199
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https://doi.org/10.1515/9781685856847-006

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter i
  2. Contents v
  3. Acknowledgments vii
  4. 1. Overlooked Illegal Markets: Dealing Dope, College Style 1
  5. 2. The Primary Market: Dealing Marijuana, Cocaine, and Party Drugs 17
  6. 3. Why Rich Kids Sell Street Drugs: Wankstaz, Wannabes, and Capitalists in Training 41
  7. 4. The Emerging Market: Peddling Prescription Drugs 63
  8. 5. How Student Dealers Rationalize Crime: Mental Gymnastics 99
  9. 6. Perceived and Actual Risks for College Drug Dealers: Un-Risky Business 123
  10. 7. Conclusions and Epilogue: No Dreams Deferred 169
  11. Bibliography 185
  12. Index 195
  13. About the Book 199
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