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As I wrap up this project, I want to highlight three big forces from SOC 205 that have shaped the recovery community here in Oregon: Health, Safety, and the State; the Economy; and Social Movements. These themes show up again and again in my Padlet posts, and they really capture how my community both experiences and helps drive social change. In the next few posts, I’ll break down how these themes play out for us, and how people in the recovery community are affected in different ways depending on where they come from.

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The community I identify with and belong to is the

recovery community in Oregon. This community

encompasses those in recovery or working towards

recovery, family members, as well as those who support in

various ways, such as mentors, peers, treatment and

recovery programs, and advocates. This community is

forged through strength, support, and shared experiences

of overcoming challenges. I am a part of this community as

a Certified Recovery Mentor; however, my experience is

only one among many within this community. We are

defined by our support for one another, leaning on each

other, and demonstrating that recovery is achievable.

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Seeing Conflict and Change in the Recovery World

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Seeing Conflict and Change in the Recovery World

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The recovery community has been deeply shaped by power and inequality. Conflict theory helps explain why access to housing, treatment, or funding often depends on who has resources and influence rather than who has the greatest need. I’ve seen this within the system firsthand: people on similar recovery paths are offered very different opportunities because of income, background, or status.

This realization helped me understand that recovery isn’t just about individual effort, it’s also about how systems distribute power and opportunity. The recovery community continues to influence social change by advocating for equal access to treatment, fair funding, and recognition of lived experience as legitimate expertise. Through this work, we challenge inequality and help shape a more just and supportive system for all.

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Listening to Ben Cushing’s podcast made me think about how our culture separates “addicts” from everyone else, creating invisible walls of stigma and fear. These cultural constructions shape people’s sense of identity, belonging, and worth. In my work as a peer mentor, I’ve seen the power of breaking those barriers when people realize that recovery is not about punishment, it’s about healing and self-discovery.

The recovery community has experienced social change through increasing public education, advocacy, and storytelling that reduce stigma. At the same time, we’ve influenced this change by showing society what recovery really looks like: hope, rebuilding, and connection. Each story shared helps reshape cultural understanding and makes recovery visible and respected.

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Learning about global inequality reminded me that inequality exists both worldwide and locally. Just as some countries have more resources than others, some communities in Oregon have abundant recovery centers while others have none. These disparities show that access to help is often determined by geography, wealth, and policy.

The recovery community experiences this inequality through gaps in treatment access and resource availability, but it also influences change by advocating for fair funding, expanding recovery housing, and creating peer-led programs in underserved areas. These actions reflect how social change happens from the ground up, when communities use their voice to make systems more equitable.

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How My Community Adapts to Social Change

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How My Community Adapts to Social Change

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The recovery community has changed significantly over the past few years. Laws, stigma, and attitudes about addiction are evolving. The biggest shift I’ve witnessed is how peer-support roles have become recognized as professional and essential. This recognition gives people with lived experience a seat at the table and allows recovery voices to influence decisions that once excluded them.

The community has both experienced and driven social change by sharing stories, promoting advocacy, and helping others see that recovery deserves respect, opportunity, and investment.

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When I began this Padlet, I saw social change as personal growth, how I turned my life around after recovery. Now I see it as much bigger. Culture, history, and environment all shape what recovery looks like for each person and community. Understanding social theories and global systems has shown me that supporting others means also working to change the systems that hold them back.

The recovery community’s ongoing advocacy for inclusion, funding, and dignity demonstrates how collective lived experience can drive real social change at both the local and state levels.

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The recovery community in Oregon continues to experience cultural change as society redefines what success looks like. Doughnut Economics by Kate Raworth encourages balance between people’s needs and the planet’s limits, which connects strongly to the culture of recovery. Both promote sustainability, stability, and compassion. In recovery, people learn to rebuild their lives while maintaining balance, and that same idea applies to how we measure economic growth. As cultural attitudes shift away from profit-driven thinking toward community well-being, the recovery community helps influence that change by modeling what it means to prioritize people over profit and healing over competition.

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Historically, economic systems have focused on production and profit, often leaving vulnerable communities behind. The recovery community has experienced this firsthand. Limited access to treatment, housing, and employment opportunities has shown how profit-centered systems create barriers to healing. Over time, policy changes and peer-support roles have shifted that pattern, giving the recovery community more visibility and influence. Just like how Doughnut Economics challenges the traditional model of constant growth, the recovery movement challenges outdated ideas about addiction and recovery, pushing for systems that focus on equity, shared responsibility, and long-term sustainability rather than punishment or exclusion.

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Environmental change and social stability are closely connected in the recovery community. When people lack stable housing or access to services, it often leads to unsafe outdoor living conditions that affect both individuals and the environment. The Doughnut Economics model teaches that meeting social needs while respecting ecological limits creates healthier communities overall. Recovery programs that provide safe housing, treatment, and job support not only improve individual lives but also reduce environmental strain. By advocating for sustainability and fairness, the recovery community helps influence broader social change that benefits both people and the planet.

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This module helped me see how economic systems shape recovery work and how the recovery community can influence change. The Doughnut Economics model encourages investing in people and protecting the environment at the same time, which fits with Oregon’s focus on collaboration, equity, and sustainability. My community shows that progress happens when systems value people’s well-being, not just profit. By living out those values daily, the recovery community continues to experience and inspire meaningful social change.

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The recovery community both experiences and influences social change. Learning about Doughnut Economics helped me see how meeting people’s needs while protecting the environment mirrors recovery’s focus on balance, healing, and shared responsibility.

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🟣 Cultural: Health, Safety, and Recovery

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🟣 Cultural: Health, Safety, and Recovery

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Health and safety in the recovery community are closely connected to trust and access. What I learned from Chapter 7 is that health is not only about medical care, but also about social factors. When people in recovery face stigma, they may avoid seeking help until their situation becomes more serious. In Oregon, the development of peer programs and harm reduction efforts has helped to rebuild trust and make care more accessible. These changes show that when culture and policy shift, recovery spaces become safer and more welcoming. Having Certified Recovery Mentors in clinics and treatment settings demonstrates that healing begins with understanding and support, not with judgment.

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🟢 Historical: From Punishment to Public Health

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🟢 Historical: From Punishment to Public Health

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For much of our history, people struggling with addiction were treated as criminals rather than as individuals in need of care. The War on Drugs created cycles of fear and division by labeling addiction as a crime instead of a health issue. In Oregon, the passage of Measure 110 marked a turning point by recognizing addiction as a public health concern. This shift did not happen on its own; it was the result of advocacy from people in recovery, their families, and community members who called for a more compassionate approach. This policy change is a clear example of how advocacy and sharing personal stories can lead to real social change.

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🔵 Environmental: Safe Spaces for Healing

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🔵 Environmental: Safe Spaces for Healing

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Health and safety are also shaped by the environments where people live. Many people in recovery face unsafe housing or homelessness, which can harm both their physical and mental health. In Oregon, increased funding for recovery housing and trauma-informed spaces has begun to create healthier environments where people can rebuild their lives. Chapter 7 discusses how we can redefine public safety by focusing on care rather than control. When communities invest in clean, stable, and supportive spaces, it gives people the chance to focus on recovery and reconnect with others.

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🟠 Reflection: Community Care Being The Real Safety

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🟠 Reflection: Community Care Being The Real Safety

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This module made it clear to me that health, safety, and government systems are all connected to recovery. Every system, whether it is health care, housing, or law enforcement, can either help or hinder a person’s ability to heal. From my own experience, I have seen how local policies and community advocacy can make a real difference when they prioritize treatment instead of punishment. The recovery community continues to show that real public safety comes from compassion, equity, and connection, rather than from fear or control.

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Over the past several modules, my understanding of social change has evolved from seeing it as an abstract idea to recognizing it as something that happens within my own community every day. Through studying health, safety, and social institutions, I’ve learned that real change begins when systems listen to lived experience and make room for equity. From harm reduction and Measure 110 to peer mentorship and recovery housing, I’ve seen how compassion, policy, and advocacy work together to make lasting transformation possible.

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🟣 Cultural: Hidden Curriculum and Social Expectations

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🟣 Cultural: Hidden Curriculum and Social Expectations

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The hidden curriculum taught me that schools pass along unspoken lessons about behavior, speech, and social norms. Growing up in a working-class family, I noticed that approval often came from sounding “proper” and acting a certain way, not necessarily from effort or intelligence. These expectations reflect who education systems are built to serve. The social lessons students absorb without formal instruction shape confidence, identity, and belonging long after they leave school.

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🟢 Structural: Intersectionality and Educational Access

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🟢 Structural: Intersectionality and Educational Access

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When I consider the intersectionality wheel, I see how privilege and disadvantage combine to shape access to education. I am male and able-bodied, but my low-income background and nontraditional path made understanding the hidden curriculum harder. Some students had parents who could translate those unspoken rules; I had to learn through experience. This imbalance shows how race, class, and gender intersect with education to reproduce inequality.

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In modern classrooms, digital access has become part of the hidden curriculum. At times, my group participation suffered because I lacked stable internet or a personal laptop. Community Wi-Fi and library laptop-lending programs help bridge this gap by revealing and teaching the “hidden” expectations of technology. Equal access to tech is not just about equipment, it’s about learning the social and digital codes that determine success in school.

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🟠 Reflection: Education as a Driver of Social Change

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🟠 Reflection: Education as a Driver of Social Change

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This module helped me see that education can either maintain inequality or transform it. The hidden curriculum shows how culture, class, and technology shape who feels included. When schools acknowledge these invisible lessons and teach with intersectionality in mind, they create real opportunities for social change. True inclusion happens when both formal and hidden lessons are shared equally with everyone, regardless of background.

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🟣 Religion, Culture, and Belonging in My Community

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🟣 Religion, Culture, and Belonging in My Community

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This module helped me see how religion is not just a belief, but also a cultural system that shapes who feels like they belong. In my own life and in my recovery community, I have seen both sides of this. Some people were pushed away from churches because of their past, their charges, their substance use, or their identity. Others found spiritual communities that welcomed them and gave them a sense of purpose. The Critical Race and Queer Theories lens helped me understand how those different experiences are not accidents, but connected to power and who gets to define what is “acceptable.”

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🟢 Religion as an Institution of Harm and Healing

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🟢 Religion as an Institution of Harm and Healing

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Chapter 9 also helped me see religion as an institution, like education or health care. For some people in my community, religion has caused shame, judgment, and trauma. For others, spiritual belief has been a source of resilience and strength in recovery. I see this in peer work when people talk about trying to rebuild their lives and make peace with their past. Spirituality can motivate people to seek justice, make amends, and show compassion to others. It can also be used to control or exclude. That tension is part of how social change happens.

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🟠 Reflection: Social Change, Spirituality, and Recovery

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🟠 Reflection: Social Change, Spirituality, and Recovery

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The biggest connection I made this week is that religion and spirituality can be powerful tools for social change when they center dignity and inclusion. In my community, I see people creating new kinds of “church” and spiritual spaces, such as recovery groups and circles, where everyone is welcome to show up as they are. These spaces may not resemble traditional religion, but they still convey ritual, meaning, and a sense of something greater than ourselves. This module helped me understand that these spaces are part of a larger story of people reclaiming and reshaping their belief systems toward justice, healing, and recovery.

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🟣 Cultural: Social Movements and Community Identity

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🟣 Cultural: Social Movements and Community Identity

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Chapter 10 helped me see how social movements shape the identities of entire communities, including the recovery community I’m a part of. Cultural change often begins when people collectively speak up about conditions that harm them. Movements like Black Lives Matter, environmental justice, and harm reduction have all influenced how people view recovery, trauma, and public health. In Oregon, activism has normalized conversations about overdose, racial inequality, and homelessness; topics that used to be hidden or taboo. Culturally, these movements helped shift recovery from being seen as a “personal failure” to a community issue that requires support, empathy, and structural change. I can see how my own identity as a mentor fits into this changing culture that values lived experience as knowledge and leadership.

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🟢 Historical: How Movements Changed Policies That Shape Recovery

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🟢 Historical: How Movements Changed Policies That Shape Recovery

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Social movements throughout history have transformed the systems that affect recovery today. The War on Drugs created punishment-based policies, but reform movements eventually pushed Oregon toward Measure 110, peer certification, and treatment-centered approaches. Chapter 10 explains how movements rise, coalesce, and enter bureaucratization; exactly what happened with harm reduction, BLM, and mental health advocacy in Oregon. People sharing their stories, organizing protests, and demanding humane treatment led to historic changes in how addiction is viewed. These shifts didn’t happen randomly; they were won by communities fighting for justice. Understanding this history helps me see how the recovery movement I belong to is also part of a larger social change story.

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🔵 Environmental: Environmental Justice and Recovery Conditions

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🔵 Environmental: Environmental Justice and Recovery Conditions

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Environmental justice movements helped me understand how the environment and recovery are connected. Many people in recovery live in unsafe environments: homeless encampments, unstable housing, polluted areas, or places with limited access to healthy resources. Chapter 10 discusses how environmental burdens often fall on marginalized groups, and I see that play out in the recovery community every day. Lack of housing forces people into unsafe outdoor spaces, extreme weather puts people at risk, and environmental neglect makes it harder to heal. At the same time, the recovery community advocates for safer housing, accessible services, clean spaces, and trauma-informed environments. That makes us part of a broader environmental justice movement without always realizing it.

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🟠 Reflection: What This Module Helped Me Understand

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🟠 Reflection: What This Module Helped Me Understand

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This module helped me connect social movements to my own community in a way I hadn’t before. Recovery doesn’t exist separately from the world; it's shaped by activism, policy change, and people fighting for justice. I realized that many of the protections, rights, and opportunities the recovery community has today came from social movements pushing back against stigma and inequality. At the same time, our community continues to influence change by advocating for treatment over punishment, safe environments, harm reduction, and equity. Social movements show that change happens when everyday people organize, speak up, and refuse to accept harmful systems. This helped me see my work as a mentor as not just support for individuals but as part of a bigger movement toward social justice and human dignity.

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Phase 3 Influence #1: Health, Safety, and the State

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Phase 3 Influence #1: Health, Safety, and the State

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State systems like drug court, Measure 110, and harm reduction policies have a big impact on the recovery community. These laws and programs decide who gets access to treatment, funding, and support. When laws move away from punishment and toward healing, it opens up safer ways for people to rebuild their lives. As Oregon changes how it deals with addiction, my community uses our lived experience to help shape better policies, improve treatment, and make public safety work for everyone.

Additional resources:

Measure 110 overview: https://www.oregon.gov/oha/HSD/AMH/Pages/Measure110.aspx

Drug courts explained: https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/overview-adult-drug-courts

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Economic conditions shape recovery in real ways, especially when it comes to housing, jobs, and access to treatment. When rent goes up or there is not enough funding for services, people in my community end up facing more instability, which makes it harder to stay in recovery. I have seen how recovery advocates and peer-run programs can push for change by demanding more investment in housing, treatment, and support. When our community’s basic needs are met, people have a real chance at long-term stability. This is a good example of how recovery connects to bigger economic ideas, like Doughnut Economics, which focus on meeting people’s needs and building sustainability instead of just chasing profit.

Related link:

Doughnut Economics: https://doughnuteconomics.org

Oregon housing crisis info: https://www.opb.org/article/2023/03/20/oregon-housing-homelessness/

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Recovery has grown into a social movement that is changing how people see addiction. Peer support specialists, advocates, and people in long-term recovery have helped shift the conversation by sharing their stories and pushing back against old stereotypes. As a result, recovery is more visible, and attitudes are starting to change. My community has played a role in this by showing that recovery is not just about overcoming addiction, but also about building strength, leadership, and support for others.

Movement examples:

Oregon Recovers: https://www.oregonrecovers.org/

Harm Reduction Coalition: https://harmreduction.org/

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My Padlet includes content connected to weekly SOC 205 modules, readings, and media such as the Ben Cushing podcast, conflict theory, globalization, and Doughnut Economics. These sources helped me understand how recovery fits into broader social systems and why social change happens the way it does.

These links represent the key sources, theories, and examples that informed my reflections across Phases 1–3 of this Padlet:

Ben Cushing podcast (“Walls in Our Minds”): https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/deathsexmoney/episodes/walls-in-our-minds

Doughnut Economics Model: https://doughnuteconomics.org

Oregon Measure 110 overview: https://www.oregon.gov/oha/HSD/AMH/Pages/Measure110.aspx

Adult Drug Court overview (NIJ): https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/overview-adult-drug-courts

Gapminder – Global inequality data: https://www.gapminder.org/tools/

Kimberlé Crenshaw – Intersectionality talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/kimberle_crenshaw_the_urgency_of_intersectionality

Faces & Voices of Recovery – national recovery advocacy: https://facesandvoicesofrecovery.org/

These sources reflect the major course themes I engaged with, including conflict theory, social construction, inequality, global systems, intersectionality, environmental justice, and social movements.

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Culturally, recovery has transformed from stigma to strength. For much of our history, addiction was treated as a moral failing, and people in recovery were shamed or excluded. As cultural attitudes shifted, recovery became something to celebrate. Today, recovery is discussed openly, celebrated at events, and valued for the leadership it creates. The rise of peer-support specialists shows how lived experience has gained recognition and respect.

The recovery community continues to influence culture by modeling honesty, resilience, and compassion. Our visibility and advocacy challenge outdated beliefs about addiction, creating more inclusive and understanding communities.

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The recovery community has been shaped by decades of social and policy changes. The War on Drugs criminalized addiction, leading to widespread incarceration and long-term trauma. These historical policies caused cycles of poverty, stigma, and disconnection that still affect people today.

In Oregon, we’ve seen major turning points with harm reduction and recovery-based laws such as Measure 110 and the certification of peer-support specialists. These milestones represent a shift from punishment to healing and empowerment. They also show that our community has not only been shaped by social change but now helps influence it by advocating for treatment-centered approaches and system reform.

The recovery community continues to push for new policies that recognize addiction as a health issue rather than a criminal one, influencing how future legislation and public services are created.

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The environment directly affects the recovery community in visible and invisible ways. When people lack stable housing or access to treatment, they are often forced into unsafe outdoor spaces or encampments. This results in environmental strain, unsanitary conditions, and unsafe surroundings. These conditions are not due to neglect but to a lack of resources and systemic support.

The recovery community experiences environmental challenges caused by poverty and housing insecurity, yet we also influence environmental change by advocating for safe housing and community investment. As Oregon faces issues like extreme weather and rising housing costs, our community’s advocacy for sustainable recovery housing, public health, and supportive environments plays a role in building both social and environmental resilience.

By working toward solutions that meet human needs while protecting the environment, the recovery community contributes to broader social change grounded in sustainability and care for others.

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People in the recovery community don’t all experience change the same way. For example, someone in drug court is under a lot more pressure and monitoring, while someone who has stable housing can focus on recovery with more safety and support. Older people in our community often carry trauma from when addiction was criminalized, while younger people are coming into a system that is starting to focus more on treatment and harm reduction. If you don’t have much money or resources, it’s harder to get housing, transportation, or treatment. As a peer mentor, I see these differences from the support side. All of this shows how things like age, income, background, and support shape what recovery looks like for each person.