Resilience in the Face of Victimization: A Bourdieusian Analysis of Dealing With Harms and Hurts Among Street-Involved Individuals Who Smoke Crack Cocaine

Abstract

Victimization is a significant issue for street-involved individuals who smoke crack cocaine. Presently, there is a shortage of resilience research exploring practices that may insulate crack-smoking individuals from victimization or mitigate the effects of such experiences. Through a Bourdieusian lens, this qualitative study examines responses to victimization and the types of coping strategies utilized among ( n = 30) street-involved individuals who regularly smoke crack in Southern Ontario, Canada. A resilience framework is used for analysis—a novel approach in addictions research, since drug-using individuals are generally left out of this realm of investigation. Findings show that participants mobilize their resources and capacities to “rebound” from victimization in the “street field” (Shammas & Sandberg, 2016), through various practices. These individuals rely on their own embodied competencies as well as the “street social capital” (Ilan, 2013) available to them through their networks, in order to deal with victimization. Resilience is a complex process that needs to be continually (re)constituted for participants, owing to their lack of capital and the structural limitations of the street field. In conclusion, participants display resilience through their sense of determination and ongoing agency in navigating constraints and seizing opportunities to avoid, manage, and confront chronic victimization in the street field.