NCJ Number
62976
Date Published
1979
Length
124 pages
Annotation
CALIFORNIA DRUG ABUSE PROGRAM ADMINISTRATORS AND POLICYMAKERS WERE SURVEYED TO DETERMINE IF THEY DISPLAYED TRADITIONAL, STEREOTYPICAL ATTITUDES TOWARD FEMALES AND/OR FEMALE HEROIN ADDICTS.
Abstract
THE 61-ITEM WOMEN AND HEROIN ABUSE ATTITUDE SURVEY WAS MAILED TO 773 SUBJECTS, INCLUDING THE GOVERNOR AND ALL DRUG ABUSE ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTORS, COUNTY PROGRAM COORDINATORS AND ALTERNATES, AND STATE PROFESSIONAL STAFF. TOTAL RESPONSE RATE WAS 27 PERCENT. USING THESE DATA, RESEARCHERS TESTED STATISTICALLY SEVEN HYPOTHESES. ONE-WAY ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE SHOWED NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ATTITUDES OF STATE POLICYMAKERS AND THOSE OF PROGRAM STAFF, A CORRELATION BETWEEN ATTITUDES TOWARD FEMALE ADDICTS AND ATTITUDES TOWARD WOMEN IN SOCIETY, AND NO SIGNIFICANT DISPARITY BETWEEN ATTITUDES OF PROGRAM OFFICIALS AND PROGRAM STAFF. IN ADDITION, DATA DID NOT SUPPORT THE HYPOTHESIS THAT ATTITUDES OF PROGRAM STAFF WERE RELATED TO THE NUMBER OF FEMALE CLIENTS IN THEIR PROGRAM, NOR THE HYPOTHESIS THAT WOMEN ADDICTS ARE SEEN AS LESS OF A THREAT TO SOCIETY THAN MALE ADDICTS. FINALLY, POSITIVE ATTITUDES TOWARD WOMEN WERE RELATED TO POSITIVE ATTITUDES TOWARD PROGRAMMING TO MEET WOMEN'S NEEDS. THE HAWTHORNE EFFECT MAY HAVE INFLUENCED THE UNEXPECTEDLY POSITIVE ATTITUDES EXPRESSED. NEVERTHELESS, SOME BLATANTLY SEXIST RESPONSES WERE RECEIVED, AND DATA SHOWED THAT WOMEN WERE BOTH UNDERPAID AND UNDERREPRESENTED IN HIGHER-LEVEL OFFICIAL POSITIONS. FURTHER RESEARCH ON PREGNANT ADDICTS, FEMALE CLIENTS' NEEDS, CLIENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF STAFF ATTITUDES TOWARD WOMEN, AND ATTITUDES OF ALL CLINICAL STAFF TOWARD WOMEN IS RECOMMENDED. A LITERATURE REVIEW, STUDY DATA, FOOTNOTES, A BIBLIOGRAPHY, AND THE SURVEY INSTRUMENTS ARE INCLUDED. (CFW)