Murray Wilson PhD CandidateMasters Research

Addiction Symposium Wellington

April 29th.

Enduring Problematic Drug Use:

Stereotype, Stigma & Containment

My Journey

Background to the Study

• Goffman (1963)

• Link & Phelan(2001)

• UK Context (Buchanan 2000; MacGregor & Thickett 2011:Nutt, King & Philips, 2010)

• Canada (Alexander 2008)

• Lloyd (2010)

• Ahern, Stuber & Galea (2007)

• Merton (1972)

• New Zealand context links my experience

Dislocation and alienation

Anglophile countries

http://pen-to-paper.blogspot.co.nz/2010/04/drugs-and-income-inequality.html

My Thesis

http://researcharchive.vuw.ac.nz/xmlui/handle/10063/4169

Methodology

• Interpretative approach the researcher“mediates” between different meanings.

•Constructionism, scientific knowledge andeveryday knowledge both emerge from theinteractions and social processes that make upeveryday life.

•Approach critical methodologies - dig below thesurface of knowledge; reflect upon structuralrelations of power in connection with personalrelationships and agency.

Method

• Insider Status see Merton (1972), Hellawell (2006) Mercer (2007)

• Semi-Structured Interviews

• Coding & Thematic Analysis

My Research: Exploring links between

• Problematic Drug Use

• Deindustrialisation

• Deprivation

• Social Exclusion

• Stigma

Enforcement

SAMPLE - Background

Still Happening?

On the custodial pathway

SAMPLE – Drug History

FINDINGS

• Downward Trajectory Before PDU– Trauma

– Exclusion

– Damaged Home Life

– Uncertain Future

• PDU– An escape

– A distraction

– A relief

Exclusion

“Yes when I was younger I was excluded a lot [from] playing and going out

[for] just being Māori, that's what the kids would say. My brother could go

and play with them but I couldn't, that used to be annoying. [And when at a friend’s house the father said:] …‘What have I told you about bringing

niggers home?’ [Paul explains:] …From about when I was 7 or 8 I noticed

it; I noticed that there were differences in the way you were treated

depending on [your] nationality and things like that. …I remember thinking

real feelings. I always wanted to show my mother off to say look she's

white.” (Paul)

Trauma

“So he breaks in, she jumps out of a second story window, [he] stabs him,

yeah, the [step dad], you know we come down stairs, and there's like blood

everywhere, [we] look in the bedrooms everyone's gone [I] go and hide up

in the attic. … [The Cops] took us to Grandmas, you know the step-dads all

stabbed up, the dad ends up in jail for 4 yrs. (Johnny)

When I was about 6yrs old um my father's best friend started to abuse me.

…I actually quite vividly remember the very first time that he raped me. I, I, I, can remember it. You know ah there's a lot of shit that I've blacked out over the years. I use drugs as a mask you know um and even now there’s stuff I don't remember.” (Alan)

Damaged home life

“Mum and dad … used to fight and argue a lot, there was a lot of aggro

there. Drinking yeah dad used to drink and stuff and there was a lot of

fighting through all through the relationship when we were kids really.

…Yeah there was always aggro and violence in the place yeah.” (James)

“So yeah, all on my own, I dropped that child out and it was pretty hard -

right. Dress up, make up and I met this guy …I was like 13yrs old [he] was

11yrs older than me. I was sexually active with him. … Both my parents

are dead now but looking back I couldn't ask for help. I knew my dad

just didn't want to know and mum was sort of fragile in a way. …” (Doris)

Blocked futures

“if I'd had a good education things could've been a lot different for me. … I don't know how to spell, don't know how to read and write as such, I’m dyslexic or something like that.” (Brownie)

“I was strongly encouraged to not to come back. … Teacher would say if you’re offered an apprenticeship take it - don't bother with school.” (Paul)

“Leave on your accord or we will expel you.” (Ben)

“What job could I get? I'm going to fail a drug test. … No jobs here”. (Johnny)

“Realistically speaking I believe it’s unattainable especially locally speaking. As soon as they find out what you’re on - bang -it's the kiss of death, it's just the way it is.” (Paul)

REFLECTIONS

• social control

• stereotype

• stigmatisation

• marginalisation

• Master status (Goffman, 1963) “drug addict”

Stigma Master Status ‘Addict’

“Counsellors talk down to you ‘junkie’ they should understand. ...wanted

takeaways for my band’s tour I [needed] proof lying junkie” (Ben).

“I try and keep it as low key as possible I've seen people looking at my old track [injecting] marks. Yeah there is a stigma about it you get treated as a second class citizen” (Pete).

“Look at me I've got the classic junkie face thin gaunt cheeks no teeth

you know um. I find that... I don’t know if they know I'm a drug user or is

it the clothing I wear or whatever. [I] walk into a shop and you get followed around you know.” (Alan)

Isolation, exclusion and alienation

Opportunities, resources & relationships

Alexander, B. K. (2008). The globalisation of addiction: A study in poverty of the

spirit. Oxford University Press.

Conclusion

Determinants of

Containment

A Pathology of Deficits

The Loss of Human

Rights

The Systematic Erosion of

Agency

New Zealand Drug Users Forum

Thesis Download Link

http://researcharchive.vuw.ac.nz/xmlui/handle/10063/4169

Further Research

• Where to next?…. PhD study; Qualitative research into PDU, Stigma & Resistance

• thank you!