NCJ Number
173615
Journal
Journal of Drug Issues Volume: 28 Issue: 2 Dated: Spring 1998 Pages: 299-328
Date Published
1998
Length
30 pages
Annotation
Using an extant model based on concepts from symbolic interactionism and the Birmingham School of Cultural Studies, this study explored the drug-related identity change process, which may offer significant sociological insights into the etiology of drug abuse.
Abstract
The basic premise was that identity concerns motivate individuals toward drug subcultural groups and that such groups help them resolve their identity problems. The study used a face- to-face interview format to administer a structured questionnaire to new clients (n=228) at publicly funded drug-abuse treatment programs in mid-Michigan. To be eligible for the study, a person had to self-report that a drug other than alcohol was his/her primary drug of choice. The sample consisted of a representative sample of white and black males and females. The data show that for many of the subjects drug-related identity change began in childhood and early adolescence with marginalizing experiences that helped create ego identity discomfort and a loss of control in defining an identity before drug use. Identification with a drug subculture offered alternative identities to resolve such predicaments. Additionally, the study found that identification with a drug subculture significantly reduced ego identity discomfort during drug use; this substantiates the claim that subcultures can act as solutions to individual problems and predicaments. 2 figures, 6 tables, 13 notes, and 69 references