Just a Flash in the Pan?: Institutional Fads and the Medicalization of Addiction
In popular culture, fads are common occurrences that follow a relatively basic trajectory. That is, cultural fads typically materialize, become increasingly popular, and then fade away almost as quickly as they appeared (Best 2006). From American Idol to zoot suits, fads associated with pop culture rapidly rise and promptly plummet before being replaced by a new trend that is ultimately destined to follow a similar path. This cycle of emerging, surging, and purging is not, however, limited only to relatively...
