The street addict role: a theory of heroin addiction

Abstract

This book provides a new answer to the question, Why do people use heroin and other street drugs? Drawing upon a growing body of studies of drug users conducted by sociologists and anthropologists, it attempts to integrate their findings into a theoretically unified sociocultural explanation of heroin use. The theory, which draws heavily upon the insights of symbolic interactionist and role theory, posits that there is a street subculture of heroin users. The chief role in this subculture -- the street addict role -- becomes a blueprint for living for many heroin users. Addicts are heavily committed to this role and organize their behavior and self-identification around it. From this basic starting point, the theory explains how persons become and remain addicts and how they may eventually give up addictive behavior. Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. The Symbolic Interactionist Perspective 3. Towards a Role Theoretic Model of Heroin Use 4. Becoming and Being a Street Addict 5. Individualistic Explanations for Heroin Use 6. Origins of the Street Addict Role 7. Treatment for the Street Addict 8. What Is To Be Done