The Bakken oil region of Montana and North Dakota has
created many labor intensive jobs. These positions tend to go to men. In fact,
so many guys show up for work “man camps” have been established to accommodate
the pool of male employees.
This mass of men brought along with it drugs, heavy drinking,
violence and prostitution.
Other than the default answer of testosterone, why do you think that large numbers of men in
a shared space over time leads to the use of drugs, heavy drinking, violence
and prostitution?
Link to a related story:
I think it's due to a number of reasons. There's the thought of how they were influenced in life and they would feel the need that that need to establish dominance over everything and when you got multiple people doing this your bound to have conflict. It could also be due to being separated from their family for long periods of time and causing them to drink in their depression trying to escape the thoughts. The sex traffic is probably due to the lack of female companionship. As far as drugs go I'm not to sure why but, I would guess its more so of a way for the guys to relax.
ReplyDeleteSimone S. 97
DeleteI agree Travis, they are definitely doing these things to deal with not being in the comfort of their normal lives with there families.
Shanah E. 97
DeleteI agree, but these men chose to be in this position and they can choose to resist the temptations before them.
I disagree about choosing to be there some people have no choice but to be there to earn the money needed to survive and I agree with you about resisting the urge and temptations.
DeleteMercedes S.90
DeleteI agree with you Travis, many of the men I know that do drugs, do it because of stress and anxiety. Perhaps because of the so called "man camps" they could easily and aggressively compete against each other, which can lead to the violence as well. They may also engage with prostitution because they may not spend enough time with their families, due to the drugs and violence issues.
Callie G. 64
DeleteI agree with you on this one. Especially with the women. I said basically the same thing with them needing companionship. Drinking yes it is a depressant and they are longing for it for some reason. that could be missing their family or anything. It could be a number of reasons.
I agree with you. The saying boys will be boys has gone way past the usual wrestling around. It abusing drugs and alcohol to ignore the surrounding situation. It's sad.
DeleteMichael L. 97
DeleteUnfortunately I have to agree with you completely, and it's a bit shameful that this sort of behaviour is expectable when a bunch of 'men' are together.
Jarrett Morris 96
ReplyDeleteI think over time they become to acquainted with one another which means it leads to drinking and drug use. Plus they are in North Dakota not much to do there so they allow themselves to do the same stuff that people to in Alaska which is drink and use drugs. Now because they become to acquainted with one another joking around and the quote " boys will be boys" can go to far and people do not take to kindly to what may be them joking around. So fights happen and what not. So my overall view is that they are to use to just seeing all guys so joking around and drinking and drug use go to far which leads to the other things as well.
Chris W.97
DeleteI totally agree with your point on these men having nothing to do in North Dakota. I think if I was in that position of working on oil mines and living in North Dakota, I would fall victim to these shortcoming these men living among these peer groups and social influences have fallen into.
I think its due to the old saying men will be men, meaning men drink, some to escape the pressures of day to day, other because its a means to not been home and are away from family and with drinking comes the violent when things get out of hands and someone can't take a joke or someone feelings get hurts and they handle it with fist. Drug use is another outlet to how they deal with the pressure of the job and if the company doesn't do ramdson drugs test then its a red light to continue using.
ReplyDeleteJ. Wright90
J. Wright90 I agree with you that men will use alcohol an drugs to escape the pressures of life, just like anyone else will do (including women). However, most women who have children are more obligated to watch over their families and are less likely than men to give up on their families and habitually abuse drugs and alcohol. I think it's because these men do not have the family responsibility that they would have were they living at home with their families, to them it's a good time and a good excuse to use the saying, "Men will be men" in their favor. Chelsea N.90
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteChris M. 97 in response to J. Wright 90
DeleteI agree with you to a point. "Men will be men" is true sometimes. Those men with a poor character, those men with weak morals, and those men who lack integrity will give in to the idea that "men will be men". And I bet that the current situation is not the only time for most of them.
Chelsea N.90 Men are very territorial creatures. I think the drinking and the drug abuse has to do with the fact that every man is for himself. There is confusion as to who is in charge of whom. Without the presence of women, men feel as though they have no one to care for and take charge of. The lack of purpose may be drawing these men to intoxication. Or it could simply be because there are no women and children, men are taking the advantage of doing what men do.
ReplyDeleteLuis M. 97
ReplyDeleteMy opinion to this subject is that men are so easy to fall into the drinking and drugs consumption in any situation, regardless of who is around. Men tend to drink alcohol after a hard or stressful day at work. Some times men drink alcohol to not let any body know about personal situations, men are more private than women are. With alcohol consumption and so many problems in their head is easy for them to fall for sexual activities with stranger women. Specially if they are living in a place where they are away from their wives, remember, testosterones are to weak.
KelseyB. 96
ReplyDeleteI think this happens because If you put men in a environment that is dominated by the male gender than this causes them to adapt using the most common behaviors that has allowed males to survive in both animal and human species. Including: violence, and drinking and drugs because its a matter of who is the strongest thus comes the fighting to test who is the best life is all about competition.
Nicholas Hall, 96
ReplyDeleteI think its due to the fact that they are isolated. They are there with a bunch of guys for work. You get up, you go to work, you go home and you repeat. This kind of repetition seems as though it would take a toll on the mind. The psychological stress this kind of environment creates can make a person crack and breakdown into drug use and drinking to take the edge off. Your going from living with your family to being isolated with coworkers for a long period of time. You can feel as though all the work is pointless. It becomes as if its just a means to an end. That's how I see it anyway.
Tara Boswell, 96
ReplyDeleteI believe that the drinking, drugs, and prostitutes are a dominance trait. Also, if there is a huge group a men around each other then they would want to hire women for a different environment. Men will also want to drink after a long hard laborious day. Drinking could be a gateway to other drugs and if some of the men do, then the other men will be highly influenced or pressured to do so as well. It is almost like a domino affect where one thing leads to another,
Chris W.97
DeleteIt makes sense that after a hard day at work these men would want to reward themselves with a cold beer. Cold beer with the guys then turns into more serious mind altering substances and leads these men into violent and criminal activity. I also agree with you that these men should hire women to balance them out.
From being around and observing, men and women are likely to drink when they want to astray from the pressures of society. Sometimes situations can overwhelm an individual he or she may only have one way of dealing with problems by drinking, drug abuse or through prostitution. Drinking can give a sense of empowerment or loss of sanity. For men engaging within prostitution may be that sense of control; or the love she thinks she needs to feel; Therefore the overwhelmed women who does not have a handle on her perspective gives those men the control they desire. The violence that comes along is an ascertains of dominance between the male figures. The drug abuse becomes the high when these other factors no longer produce the feeling(s) they need. Drinking for men can be the waste-away they need with no drive for integrity, to assert themselves in the world. Engage in prostitution to get a sense of control or love he or she is not getting at home. Drug abuse to kill the pain and sorrow.
ReplyDeleteD.Peters,90
William H.90
DeleteI would agree that a lot of men and women gravitate towards alcohol and drugs to help them stay sane. The world is not an easy place, and the people that need help should go and seek it. Depression is a bad thing and is linked to environmental and natural instincts. Many hours of labor and a lack of any kind of moral support leads to the issues described in this article.
William H.90
ReplyDeleteMen can mentally take different approaches on how they run their own lives. Drinking and Drugs are a common problem just in life itself. In these man camps it would make sense that this is the social norm because of the poor weather environment, and the lack of any kind of family support. Also the this learned behavior probably started before they even made to the man camps, and consequently spread their ideals among their fellow man. The violence and the prostitution that is occurring is going back to a primal state to assert dominance over each other and women.
A. Sheffield 96
ReplyDeleteMen are always competing, no matter what it is. I think drinking and violence are partly from who is better than who. Who is the strongest and who can drink the most. The drug use is probably from one source but then once again "if he can do it then so can I". Also, I think men are just prone to drink, fight, and do drugs. Additionally, when guys are around each other it might become peer pressure. I think having a large size group of men is a bad idea no matter the circumstances but when the are performing a job like that drugs, drinking, and fighting can be an escape. An escape from stress, loss, feelings, etc. They can't see their family as much and the don't have alone time. The oil rigs are also very physically demanding. So even though their actions are not uncommon you have to look at where they are in their life.
Janetta C. (96)
ReplyDeleteOne reason I think people abuse drugs and alcohol is because people are under a lot of stress in their lives. They tend to use drugs and alcohol as an escape from their problems. Another reason is they are bored and they have nothing better to do, after work. When a group of people get together there could be some peer pressure to use the drugs or drink alcohol and they give in because they want to be cool and fit in. People use drugs and alcohol because they are unhappy and trying to feel better. Drinking and drugs causes severe mood swings, depression, violence. It affects your mind and judgement about what is right or wrong. Some people have anger issues and the drugs and alcohol can cause things to get out of control and the person to get violent. One reason a man might go to a prostitue is because he is working long hours and has no extra time for dating. In areas like Alaska there are not enough women that live there, men out number the women.
From my imagination i would assume that these "man camps" were designed to meet a mans satisfaction. without any spouses of girlfriends around they are free to do whatever they want and they are still getting paid. its almost like a man heaven. could you imagine a place on earth where you can do whatever and not get in trouble? it would be amazing. some people like being under the influence and that leads to fighting and other illegal substances. that why its extremely violent. its sad that the way it has to be and that's just the way it is.
ReplyDeleteRobert C. 88
ReplyDeleteI would argue that when men are away from their families they lose a scene of civility. When men are together with their wife and kids, their parents, or girlfriends, they feel a scene of responsibility to act in an appropriate matter that society deems acceptable. Yet when this type of structure is taken away what very often happens is that a more barbaric, often less acceptable culture takes over. We all have a propensity to partake in such activities yet are restrained by our social context. It is only natural that people fall into such behaviors, religious people would call it a sinful nature, civilized people would call it barbarianism, yet no matter what you call it, it will probably happen to anyone, unless they have a strong moral basis, such as religion, or a trained disgust of such activities. This happens also in the military, and on boats. Men are alone, left to their own devices, with very little social restriction holding them back. I would assume that as soon as a woman is introduced into a military unit that the culture changes very quickly into something much more civilized.
Robert C. 88 in response to William H. 90
ReplyDeleteThat is a good point that these type of behaviors probably existed before hand, and now have just grown scene there is nothing to stop them. That makes a lot of since, and would help explain why this phenomenon is so prevalent in other places as well.
Shantal Acevedo 40796
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, people in general have addictive personalities. What you get addicted to is a matter of personal CHOICE. Nothing and nobody are forcing these men to choose to heavily drink or lay with prostitutes. Men's "needs" dont overpower your cognitive choices. They have an influence, yes, but it is not holding a knife to any of your major arteries threatening to slice it if you dont sleep with a prostitute. People are placing the accountability to lack of needs when i think these jobs attract the same caliber of people. Some choices lead to addiction. Some will turn what once was a "good citizen" to a complete pig. Personally, this is an example of weak character, not substantial pressures.
Luis M.97 No body can't make do anything you don't feel comfortable doing. I came from Mexico from a small city where we grew up in weed fields and I never smoke the plant. Mostly everybody did and I was with them, but I knew that was bad because that's what my parents taught me.
DeleteMegan Evans 96
ReplyDeleteBy creating "man camps" the houses needed to put up fast and cheap. The houses are all probably very similar and with no woman around lack decorative touches. Having the same job and the same house as hundreds of other men can take a toll on the psychological feeling of being an individual. Going with the flow and fitting in becomes the norm so if one guy introduces a bad habit to the group then many of the others will quickly take it up. Having so many men in one place draws prostitution because of their needs and large numbers it becomes an easy place for them to find work so more will come. When there are high numbers of prostitutes then the competitive rates make it easier to obtain their services. Girls in this situation typically will have a drug habit which brings this factor into the community as well.
Michele Smith (96)
DeleteThat is a very interesting way of looking at this... It would be hard to be an individual when everyone is doing the same thing. You don't want to be the only one not having fun like the rest of the guys. If you can't beat em, join em.
As i know, men will always be men no matter what happened. Men think they know exactly what they want and what they can do. The lack of some responsibilities, women, and children allows them to take this chance to have their little freedom. Sometimes, they go through depression and feel lonely which made them get attracted to these drugs and drinks.
ReplyDeleteJ.Wright in responses to chelsea n.90, I didn't mean to imply that men in general but to those men mention that the saying" men will be men" apply. The question wasn't about women and what they would do, but the things that those men was taking part in. Most women never lose sight of the their responsibility to the family and this isn't to say that most men do either, but when you look at, that most of these men or single and young stand to reason why this behavior is so different in certain situations. This is just my opinion.
ReplyDeleteChris M. 97
ReplyDeleteI think that some men resort to acting (or being) immature when immersed in an all male group. This can be seen in some places of business, in recreational settings, and when guys go for a night out on the town. It may be that this attitude was learned early on, that drinking, fighting, and having sex was what a man was supposed to do. And in this isolated environment, one where "entertainment" is hard to come by, they do what comes natural. It seems that the only women they regularly have contact with are there to provide sexual services, thereby making it okay to objectify women (something that movies, TV and the Internet tells them is no big deal). On another note, it may be that, without strict rules, men feel that they can do whatever they want to do. Absent are the rules of family or marriage, where they would most likely be embarrassed (or worse) if their mother or wife knew what was going on. And not knowing all of the details, it seems that the businesses that hire the men arriving for jobs only care that the work gets done, and anything that goes on off the clock is not their concern. So with no accountability, anything goes. One last thing could be that since these men are working class, they may have been raised in such a way that the things that are going on in the camps is not much different than what went on back home.
Marganette PL 90
ReplyDeleteIn a place full with men of all kind of social background, you can expect all kind of bad behaviors. First of all, those who were drug users or drinkers will continue to do so. The others who did not use to drink or do drugs will be influenced by them, and do the same thing just to fit in. Drugs and alcohol result are violence, prostitution, crime etc. Second, because they are so many strangers living so close to each other, they all have a different character this can be an open door for violence.Third, they are away from their family, they can be angry and frustrated. To ease their frustration, some will smoke, others will either drink or take drugs. finally, they are over there with all their needs including sexual need alone without wives or girlfriends nothing will stop them from prostitution if they did not have morality.
Michele Smith (96)
ReplyDeleteThis stuff is everywhere... Why would it be any different there? Heavy drinking, drugs and prostitution are in the society we live in. It would only be natural for them to show up in something called a "man camp". I also think one reason it looks so bad is because it's in a concentrated area and not spread out over thousands of people. And, not to excuse this behavior, but it doesn't sound like they have much else to do other than work and party... And if everyone else is doing it then it's ok for you to do it too. It's hard to say how you would react being put in this same situation.
M. Inman 96
ReplyDeleteI think the main reason for this is peer pressure. Not so much "Come on man do it" but "if I don't do it, I'll look stupid, or not mainly enough. I think one person is usually the instigator, and then everyone else follows. I also think men use a lot of things as competition. Drinking, fighting, things of that nature can be used for competing. Besides, drinking, drugs, and fighting, are just manly things to do, right?
Are you saying that most men aren't capable of thinking on their own? And when did using drugs become a manly thing to do rather than the illegal thing to do? Giving in to peer pressure is what makes a man look stupid an unmanly. Every woman wants a man that she's proud of... Which is a strong proud man that stands his ground.
DeleteSimone S. 97
ReplyDeleteI believe every thing going on in the camp is learned behavior. At some point in their lives they were taught that these were acceptable ways to express themselves and deal with problems. For the few that this may not be the case, they are suffering from peer pressure. No one wants to feel like the odd one out by making different choices.
Sarah M 97
DeleteI strongly agree with your opinion that it is a learned behavior. Sometimes people do not want to do some certain things but would find themselves in it at the long run. This is due to the environment he finds himself,
Shanah E. 97
ReplyDeleteEveryday someone has an affair or steals something or breaks the law, does that make it right or ok? As grown men they know better than to give in to peer pressure, but they still do it and make excuses for their actions.
william C Wade 90
ReplyDeleteMen tend to get tired of doing the same thing over and over again. Which can lead to rebellion, also these works are faced with poor living conditions. So the real question is why not do drugs, get drunk, and pay to have sex? Im not saying what their doing is right in any way. look at it in the workers perspective they are working long hour shifts facing harsh-dangerous conditions. These men are also away from their family's;therefor, the closest way of getting the same affection they received from their wife is to invest in a prostitute.
Sarah M 97
ReplyDeleteThis situation reminds me of my culture adage which says that (a man that walks with a dog will act like a dog) meaning birds of the same feather flocks together. Firstly, I would say that the major reason for this behavior is (labelling). Men are labeled to be controllers which makes them feel that they have right to misbehave. Sometimes men would get bored of some certain attitude or behavior and would want to change to another. During this period of time men are easily influenced by friends or people around them to the wrong choice of attitude. This could also be a cause of the effect to drugs and so on.
Greetings! Interesting insights. Thanks for contributing a number of good sociological concepts in your post.
DeleteTom
When it comes down to men having the women I believe they need that companionship no matter what form it comes in. When it comes to the drugs and drinking to me if they didn't already have a problem just being amongst the few that do- do it; they just want to be apart of the crowd. If there not strong enough to know what is good and bad they fall in what appeals to there nature. I feel violence is in us all men and women when there are to many of one kind around you can expect some fighting going on.
ReplyDeleteAnn L. 97
ReplyDeleteI think the environment has a lot to do with these men's behavior. As we know the society we live in, plays a great role in our every day life. This is where these men are all day every day and working long hours as a matter of fact, and this is want every body else is doing which makes it easier for one to fall into. Has the saying goes "walk with a thief, you become one". Having said that, I think these men go after these prostitutes for exploitation. I mean these women some of them are kids who are thirteen and fourteen years of age which makes them easy target. Why they turn into drinking and drug use, I will say it's because they know want they're doing is wrong and just because they do not want to accept their responsibility, then they find it easy to do drugs and drink, so as to fill normal.
When you think of men all piled together in a place by themselves, this is exactly what you would picture as the out come. It only takes one bad egg to ruin the bunch, so when you might have just a couple of bad men, they all tend to follow. These types of activities also come from just being bored. When that happens you have a mess of mayhem. Every group is only as good as its worst player... or something like that. So I believe they are all just easily influenced.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Casey LeNoir
DeleteYou did make a great response and I do agree with you but however, I disagree with your last sentence that all men are easily influence. Every men have different problem and different situation that put them in that position.
Ann L. 97 in response to Sarah M. 97
ReplyDeleteSarah I totally I agree with you. At sometimes we do things not because we like or want to, but because we are influenced. I think also the environment is to be blamed, because if where they are didn't deal with these things, then these men would not be behaving like this. Our surrounding does really matter.
Chris W. 97
ReplyDeleteI think that a large group of men in a shared space is likely to lead to the use of drugs, heavy drinking, violence and prostitution based on their gender, gender socialization, peer group and a misconception of social inequality. From a young age boys were given toy guns and action figures whether then dolls and jewelry. In other words when a parent gives an adolescent boy a toy gun it subconsciously registers to that child that it is okay to participate in more rough or violent activity. At later stages in life these males carry these gender messages from the family and onto their peers. When a large numbers of men who are often the same age and share common interests and orientations it is known as a peer group. Within this peer group of males they are each developing their identity with themselves and one another which could easily lead to a lot of partying and violence. Boys will be boys and when they grow up men will be men. I think another huge factor is isolating these men in small groups of men forces them to seek out behavior to prove their status quo or manhood.
Deonte M. 90
ReplyDeleteI believe that the notion of a large group of men involving violence, drinking and prostitution going on regularly is false. Meaning that there is no strong positive correlation between a large population of men and this phenomena happening. It is simply an outlier. However in the case of these individuals may have embraced this behavior as culture. One cannot explain why , perhaps it may be that in these communities men feel 100% of their masculinity because of the absence of females and the emasculated outside world. Their "Man Camps" could simply be a retreat or an escape from these problems men face.
Logan C. 64
ReplyDeleteWomen act as a damper to men's personalities. Men are more violent, women are more caring. Men are loud, women are quiet. etc, etc. Sure these are stereotypes and there are outliers. But as a rule this is true. So in places where there are a lot of men and very few women then you will have those attributes run loose. Men tend to control themselves around women and so when you remove those boundaries who knows what could happen.
Bleetan D. 96
ReplyDeleteI think that large numbers of men in a shared space over time leads to the use of drugs, heavy drinking, violence and prostitution because some guys have the sense that certain substance or activities can impact their well being and how well they do in social institution. Another thing is that some guys do that as the release of stressful situation or moment of their life.
Kimberly S. 90
ReplyDeleteI think these men are in poor work conditions whcih can be stressful. At the same time they are in an environment with so many other men around them, even if one man is not into doing drugs, drinking, and having sexual relations with "random" women, they could feel pressured because all the other men around them are doing it. Although, they are grown men and should know better than to let peer pressure get to them, it can still happen, and does on a day to day basis. Men feel obligated to "fit in" with their surroundings, and if a man doesn't, a lot of the time they get made fun of and then feel obligated to prove themselves to their peers.
Veronica E.97 in response to Kimberly S. 90
DeleteI think we were thinking alike. I really do believe that pressure is what is happening here. To fit in, I think they are wanting to do what everyone else is doing. I mean who would want to be the outsider in a group bunch of guys. Although that is not saying that I would be a person that would give in.
Cassie S. 97
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting question. I think that the large number of men in a shared space over time leads to drugs, heavy drinking, violence, and prostitution because I believe that the men will compete to be the "top dog". You see it all the time men will compete to be the best. They will do what they can to get their fellow men to talk about them. Also, if you have that many men together it may not be the most glamours job. They may do it as an escape from their job. That is just another theory, but I really believe that they are trying to be the "top dog".
Cassie S. 97 in response to Kimberly S. 90
ReplyDeleteYou have made some very good points. The men could be put under some stress. I also liked the point that you made about being pressured into it. If they see several of their fellow workers participating in inappropriate behavior they may do it to fit in. You are also right that they should be their own man and not to give in to peer pressure, but they still do it. I also agree when you said that they will do what they can to fit in.
Austin T. 96
ReplyDeleteI think that it is because the oil industry is a very physically and mentally stressful job and at first it does not get to the men but after a long time of being in the same place, doing the same thing day in and day out, seeing the same people everyday, and then going home to the "man camp" and seeing the same people they just saw can take a toll on someone. After a while they probably get annoyed with seeing the same thing and they let the stress of it all get to them and take their anger out on someone or suppress it with drugs, alcohol, and prostitutes. Just imaging doing what they are doing would probably lead most men down that path. People do whatever it takes to get them through the day and its probably the only way they know how to since they live in camps with a bunch of men.
Veronica E. 97
ReplyDeleteI think the most important thing in this situation is influence. If they are certain ones in the groups doing these things the other ones are going to want to follow. Most of these thing are a result of boredom and they are trying find things to do. If they weren't around these bad choices all the time this probably wouldn't be happening.
Hello Veronica,
DeleteHumans are natural born followers so this makes perfect sense. Its amazing how something as serious as prostitution could be happening all off of the influence of another. There is so much in this world to catch, screwing a known whore just seems like poor planning and gross.
Andrew F. 90
ReplyDeleteIf you put any large group together and it will eventually get to that point. There are many influences, but boredom is key. It is a bunch of men together, what else would they do? They will want drugs, alcohol, and some women. Especially some women, it is a sausage fest! THey wont go have relations with each other. Now on top of that , they have incredibly physically demanding jobs.
Chris G. 95
DeleteYou're right it is a huge sausage fest and the lack of women on top of their demanding jobs could cause tempers to flare very quickly.
Chris G. 95
ReplyDeleteI feel like stress and boredom play a huge role in the men behaving badly in the community. Tempers are prone to flare up when you have people together for so long. I also think think that peer pressure plays its part. Some men may get teased because they are not partaking in some activities that the others are and this could cause some altercations.
Courtney R.97 in response to Chris G.95
DeleteTempers are definitely going to flare when you are around the same people all of the time, especially the same sex. Boredom and stress play a huge factor in these men misbehaving. There's no where to escape. They work all day long just to come home to the same stuff and people they've seen all day just to do it all over again in the morning. I would probably pick up drinking too! The problem is, because of many factors including stress, boredom, hormones, peer pressure, and so on is that these men are most likely heavy drinking and well, that doesn't ever end well.
Ideally for things to go smoothly in life there needs to be balance. When you work a very demanding, strenuous, stressful job, it's important to be able to come home and get away from it all. These men work long, hard hours just to come home to what they've been around all day long. I think it's normal for these men to use alcohol to help them wind down. The thing is though, that some people drink too much or can't handle their intake. That's where egos and tempers collide resulting in violence. The prostitution problem, I have no explanation for. Just as the men are to blame, I'm sure the prostitutes are overjoyed with the business the 'man camps' brings them. I'm going out on a limb, but with the whole balance idea, I believe if there were a more even mix of women in the work field, the amount of bad behavior would decrease. The men would have the women to gawk at and the women would in turn put them back in their place. Women would be more likely to report bad behavior so it would have to be better hidden and so on.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with the balance idea. I think a work environment as well as in the rest of society should have a good balance of men and women in order to maintain productivity.
DeleteValrika L. 90
ReplyDeleteI think maybe that's what they grew up around and thing that that's how they have to act. Also, some guys want to look and be tough so they go out and drink and smoke cause that's what makes them look bad. Also they might have just a randomly sexually need and they go to these dirty clubs pick up cheap girl to please them. Or maybe they are just bored and need something random to do in life.
Ashley M 90
ReplyDeleteI think the men probably get bored and start drinking just to pass the time and after a while it snowballs into other things, like drugs. And the lack of females leads to the prostitution. Men can only take so much of being without sexual gratification or company of a woman. Of course you cant have alcohol, drugs, and hormones without violence... that is a given.
Meredith J. 96
ReplyDeleteI believe that these men feel very stressed and overworked. Like other people said, I think that they can also get bored. I believe that when there is a large group of men all working together and there are no women around, they can tend to get that way. They get bored with just working with men and they go to prostitution, drugs , or alcohol for that. Men will be men and you can not change that.
William C Wade 90 in response Ann L. 97
ReplyDeleteI agree these men are working all day everyday, and away from their family. Witch can lead to these men wanting to do drugs, get drunk, and have sex with whom ever they please.
This is an act that has been going on since the 18th century, and I believe it will continue for many years to come. Men are the most territorial human beings that show tolerance to the extreme. Some may say it is the attention they seek. Some might also say it was the way they were raised, or maybe it is the image the want to produce. Many men try to "follow the leader" in most circumstances. They want to improve in the society as "I am better than you" attitude. It is also said to be a dominance factor, an example would be; the man of the house brings in the most money while the wife cleans, cooks and cares fro the children. Another point mentioned would be the ability to have power over others and or peers.
ReplyDeleteI think that when a large number of men are living and working together they tend to get bored. Also, the lack of female presence probably contributes to some of the behaviors. The reason I say that is because men and women naturally tend to balance each other out, in exclusive relationships and also in just day-to-day living. I think the natural order is conducive to men and women coexisting and depending on each other for various things. When that relationship isn't there, there is a void to fill. This may be an explanation for all the use of drugs and alcohol as well as for the prostitution.
ReplyDeleteAda Ohanu Online 97 In response to Marybeth Nealey
DeleteI believe that you are completely right about women and men being each others balance. When one is not present then the other is not equal and that can set voids in their everyday problems which they can use drinking and drugs as their crutch. I believe that they fin an excuse to use those disturbing actions as a way to take off their mind from the current life course.
Ada Ohanu Online 97
ReplyDeleteI believe that men lead to all sorts of these problems due to many factors in society. It could be due to social location and how they grew up. Most men if they didn't have their fathers growing up would act out more violently which studies show are true. Also if the men are in a gropu setting they will follow eachother's footsteps due to social desirability of their mates. They can also be doing this to take their mind off pressure and problems they may have in life and by drinking, using drugs, and being violent this is a way to overlook those problems by using that crutch of characteristics.
Lucy k.84
ReplyDeletel
Lucy k.84
These men are just having a bad influence,to me,they went to work how can they be bored.Most men think that if they don't drink take drugs and have prostitutes they are not men enough . To many men it happens when they have money or turned rich so it doesn't matter if their wives are with them or not .
Salome N 97
ReplyDeleteI think men start taking alcohol and drugs when they find that they cannot meet their great expectations, even after working hard as a way of fighting with their stress, while others do it due to peer pressure. While they become addicted, they keep on arguing on certain things which brings disagreement resulting into violence. Sometimes they discuss topics relating to sex and as way of proving how strong they are sexually, they end up making love with many different women leading them to prostitution.
Salome N 97 responding to Ashley M 90
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that idleness may result on to all this, as we know that idleness is devils workshop. And because they have money for buying beer and drugs they end up involving themselves in bad behaviors as a way of passing time.
Callie G. 64
ReplyDeleteI believe that alcohol is a depressant so to relieve some stress men drink alcohol after a long hard day of work. I know my father loves coming home and having one beer after work. If these men are getting drunk after work I definitely think that is not the move they should be making. Drugs I guess would go along with drinking acting as a depressant and getting their mind free of everything and enjoying themselves. If drugs came into the picture would say they more than likely do not like their job that much. If your in a state of being under the influence or drinking and drugs are in the picture with that many men around, who wouldn't guess that violence would soon erupt. All men and women react in different ways to alcohol and of course drugs. Prostitution on the other hand I think is just something all men crave. If a man doesn't have a significant other they problem fantasize or go in search of other ways to please what they are wanting. That is where prostitution might come into play
KatelynN.97: These men, that live at these 'men camps' are probably single, and young. Younger, single men tend to have party lifestyles. They have no family to be responsible for, and no one but their boss to be accountable to. To add to the mix, they are well paid with money to burn. If you take all of this into account, prostitution and drugs make sense. Why would these men need a regular committed relationship? They have their buddies and they have women that are willing to be paid for casual sex.
ReplyDeleteHeatherP.97 in response to KatelynN.97 You make a great point! Theses guys have money to burn with little accountability and responsibility. I feel this all started as a way for someone to capitalize from these men making good money. They saw an opportunity, and put forth things that would be easy to make a profit on, drugs, sex, alcohol, and violence. It's an unfortunate situation in the end.
DeleteKatelynN97 in response to Callie G.67: I totally agree with you that drugs and prostitution go hand in hand. These young men are set in the perfect conditions for their lifestyle. It also makes me wonder why these oil companies don't require a drug test for their employees. Wouldn't a hung over employee bee dangerous to have on a job site?
ReplyDeleteChris W.97 in response to Jarret Morris 96
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with your point on these men having nothing to do in North Dakota. I think if I was in that position of working on oil mines and living in North Dakota, I would fall victim to these shortcoming these men living among these peer groups and social influences have fallen into.
Chris W.97 in response to Tara Boswell. 96
ReplyDeleteIt makes sense that after a hard day at work these men would want to reward themselves with a cold beer. Cold beer with the guys then turns into more serious mind altering substances and leads these men into violent and criminal activity. I also agree with you that these men should hire women to balance them out.
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ReplyDeleteAR97For centuries when men get together they have felt the need to express their manliness. They feel the need to show the dominance over the others I.e. sword fights, wrestling. In this case these men are doing what society is calls "manly things". Having sex is a man's right of passage along with drinking and fighting for respect. These low class men suppress their feelings through over dominating the area. If women were in the field it wouldn't be as bad. It would even out because there would be no need to dominate in such a way.
ReplyDeleteWell outside of testosterone there is still a physical push that guys have. We like to be loud and proud. If you isolate a large group of men in an area such as this there is bound to be a HUGE sense of competition. That same competition will lead to everyone wanting to do something more than someone else or something different from someone else. Add due to this the terrible sense of "manhood" society has pressed upon them they will strongly gravitate towards violent shows of power and dominance. While they seem to be so far away from a normal american society as we see it, it is our society that is the driving force behind it.
ReplyDeleteChris M. 97 in response to Katelyn N.97:
ReplyDeleteI agree with your point that most of the men are probably young and single and with that comes a lack of accountability and/or responsibility. Sadly, I have noticed that an ever increasing number of "men" (in regular, everyday life) seem to conduct themselves as though they do not need to be responsible or accountable to anyone or for anything. If I am even partially correct, it is a sad state for these so-called men and anyone who cares about them.
Isabel 96
ReplyDeleteI think men that drink alcohol and use drugs, that was the lifestyle there were living back at home. Maybe their parents were alcoholics or used drugs, and that was the example their parents gave them. On the other hand some of them drink a cold beer after a long day of work because it relaxes them from all that stress they went through at work.
Cherish S. 97
ReplyDeleteI think men have problems with behavior. If they see one person do something they think that it is okay to act that way. Men see drinking as an escape from reality and lets face it when alcohol is involved you tend to not make smart choices. Men are also very needy and can't stand to be alone as much as a woman can handle it.
Cherish S. 97 in response to KatelynN.97 I could not agree more that most men at the "men camps" are single. Since they make decent money they do want to find a way to burn it. Plus men like sex and being single they would pay a woman to have sex with them since they have the money to.
ReplyDeleteI feel there are several different factors that contribute to drug use, violence, prostitution, and heavy drinking when it comes to a large number of men in shared spaces. First of all, I feel that peer pressure has much to do with choices made by individuals. Even though adults are no longer considered adolescents, peer pressure still influences them in them in the same way. I also feel these men are in some way escaping reality for whatever reasons. Men, and women as well, turn to substances or objects in order to differ their attention from the reality of their life. It may be due to a series of bad choices, addiction, or something deeper that causes them to want to live in an illusory life. These bad lifestyle choices greatly contribute to an escalation in drug use, prostitution, violence, and heavy drinking. One choice feeds off of another until it becomes a snowball of a problem.
ReplyDeleteMadeline C. 97 response
DeleteHello Heather! I completely agree with you, especially about how one problem leads to another. It's like a viscous circle that is hard to break. It's hard to believe that adults could be just as affected by what goes on around them as when they were teenagers.
Madeline C. 97
ReplyDeleteWhen I read the link at the bottom of the post, it started to make me sick. To be honest, a small town is the last place I would expect this kind of thing to happen. In addition to testosterone, I believe these men are not supervised the way they should be. Everyone should be able to let off a little steam, but drug tests and a more responsible supervising management would not have let this go as far as it has. Most of mass media continues to shove images of violence and sex down our throats. It makes it seem that a real man should want to drink beer, get in a fight, and then have sex. The examples on television, along with peer pressure, and alcohol could make anyone do stupid things. Not that this gives them an excuse, they are still fully functioning adults and should act like it.
I think it has a lot to do with social location. Men are usually raised to be rough and tough, and due to that, can be drawn to violence and promisciousity. A lot of them view it as cool to do drugs or have sex with different women or drink because others in their peer group do too. On top of that, it seems like there wouldn't be much to do in North Dakota. It's not exactly known as a hot spot for entertainment or other fun activities. So that probably has a hand in it too.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Andrew F and Chris G.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I'm laughing at your use of the term sausage fest..Not the most professional of terms but, hey, it's true. Haha.
Secondly, I agree with both of your sentiments. "Boys will be boys."
I LOATHE this term and feel like it's just an excuse for guys to go out and act dumb and not have to suffer the repercussions because it's "what men do".
But as I get older and gain experience, I guess it's true...since it's pretty much what men are taught by society.
Zereana C. 97
ReplyDeleteGuys will act a fool in one minute alone forget about a whole lot of them and a whole lot of time. I think anyone male or female in this situation would do the same thing. I think men are pre wired to act a certain way and without a woman there to give them some reasoning, they act a fool. When we are children depending on our gender we are dressed in appropriate styles and colors. Before you know it, we end up identifying with such things because of the sociological norms that have been presented to us before we were even able to speak. Men in this instance are no different.
AmandaB96
ReplyDeleteI believe that overtime men drink because they have such ego that they will try to out drink one another, and doing drugs some of the men do this because they are just in one area and want to do what the other men are doing. Also some men also have prostitutes because they are lonely and just want attention which is wrong but that what people like to do in a closed area.
Shannon P. 90
ReplyDeleteMen are born with an instinctual nature of competing. Although it isn't fair to generalize and there are outliers, men are usually willing to do anything at least once, just to one-up each other. And if they barely survive that first time, it must be safe and ok to do. It's almost a necessity in their world to be the best at something, or at least put up a fight. Men without women is a dangerous concept. Women, in a way, act as tranquilizers for men. They keep them in check when they get out of line and often keep them from doing some dangerous thing they saw their single best friend do earlier that week. Women=Brain, Men=Brawn
Shannon P. 90
ReplyDelete@Madeline C. 97 Your proposal of a higher number of drug tests and a more involved "head man" would definitely improve this situation. Men can get a little rambunctious, especially when left to themselves, but threatening their livelihood would sober them up quickly. They're going to take care of themselves before they worry about running with the pack.
In my honest shallow opinion, men are just that.. MEN. They do things for show, they love entertainment, and they do certain things (drugs) out of boredom or because they give in to peer pressure pretty easily. With no women around, they don't think straight. Without feeling like they have any obligations, they can do whatever with no consequences. Granted I don't believe that ALL of these men partake in these activities but I do think that the majority does.
ReplyDeleteTiffany W, 96
ReplyDeleteI think this has a lot to do with the fact that they have nothing to do where they are. Being around one another so often and having nothing to do is bound to lead to some pass time partying. It takes only one man to bring in the drugs, alcohol and prostitutes to influence the rest of them. Once they are engaged, it's all down hill from there.
HCantrell96
ReplyDeleteI think men all have "Man Moments!" There is something that drives men to compete with one another. If a guy chooses to go against the majority of the other guys, he may be perceived as weak or not manly. This could potentially question a man's ego. I also think that higher education can help lend to self constraint and being confident enough in one's self to say no or not go along with the others.
Michael L. 97
ReplyDeleteIt's likely because of numerous reasons. First of all, all of these men are congregating in -North Dakota-, which has very little to do at all to my knowledge. Secondly it's what you can expect when you put a large number of men in very close quarters; Alphas trying to out Alpha each other, the constant vie for dominance or 'I'm better than you'. The drinking is as a lot of the other say here - likely depression brought on hard days, lives, and the fact that they have to be away from their families for a long time. As far as the prostitution... Well, there's a lot of guys and not a lot of women. Someone's going to fill that void.
I think it's due to a number of reasons. There's the thought of how they were influenced in life and they would feel the need that that need to establish dominance over everything and when you got multiple people doing this your bound to have conflict. It could also be due to being separated from their family for long periods of time and causing them to drink in their depression trying to escape the thoughts. The sex traffic is probably due to the lack of female companionship. As far as drugs go I'm not to sure why but, I would guess its more so of a way for the guys to relax.
It basically comes down to dominance. Men are basically programmed like that from birth. They are the stronger of the two genders which leads to basically seeing who the leader of the pack is gonna be. As for prostitution there is an increase because of the massivse amounts of me there at one time.
ReplyDeleteKevon P. 90
DeleteJoshua I agree with you highly by also believe that it is a since of dominance that man will never get rid of
Dustin S. 90
ReplyDeleteI believe that these results occurred because whether or not men intend to, men are compelled to show how masculine they are or out show someone else. Men talk a big game while together with friends, but it seems like women are there to talk sense into them. With tons of men in small spaces, what is to stop them from getting into shenanigans that could otherwise be avoided? Along with this reason, I also believe boredom played a large part in what the activities turned to.
Kevon P. 90
ReplyDeleteI believe these acts of men are more broadened in groups rather than true individual acts. When a group of guys gather together and alcohol is involved, it seems as though morals and stardards seem to go out the window. It seems as though these acts aren't purposely done, rather than a group of men getting caught up in the moment in which they are heavily intoxicated.