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Mellan missbruk och Svenssonliv – En kvalitativ studie om före detta missbrukares upplevelser av dåtid och nutid.

Ipsen, Gustav LU and Bitzekis, Veronica LU (2013) SOPA63 20131
School of Social Work
Abstract
Between drug abuse and a more ordinary life – A qualitative study about former drug addicts experiences of past and present (translated title)

The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of a group of people after leaving a life of drug abuse behind to live a more ordinary life and to interpret these experiences in the light of interactional theory. The theoretic framework used was based on the concepts of social worlds, marginal conflicts, social identity and role-exit. We were interested in comparing the past and the present in terms of social relationships, shift in identity and if the interviewees experienced any difficulties related to their new role as drug-free. The study was based on six semi-structured qualitative... (More)
Between drug abuse and a more ordinary life – A qualitative study about former drug addicts experiences of past and present (translated title)

The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of a group of people after leaving a life of drug abuse behind to live a more ordinary life and to interpret these experiences in the light of interactional theory. The theoretic framework used was based on the concepts of social worlds, marginal conflicts, social identity and role-exit. We were interested in comparing the past and the present in terms of social relationships, shift in identity and if the interviewees experienced any difficulties related to their new role as drug-free. The study was based on six semi-structured qualitative interviews conducted over a period of two weeks. We found that the social relationships of the interviewees during the time of drug abuse were based on the notion of exchange. Many talked in terms of closed doors between different (incompatible) social worlds and the isolation that could be a result of this. The interviewees were in different stages of shifting their identity from being a former drug addict into something else. They wanted to move on but it was difficult to pin point exactly what this meant. Different symbolic values and properties were important in shifting the identity towards the society in large and as a kind of receipt, a drivers license wore a strong symbolic value for the interviewees. Many of the interviewees could feel insecure in their new role as drug-free. Even though they all said they were being treated well, some residues from their past lives in forms of hepatitis C and debts still affected their sense of identity today. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Ipsen, Gustav LU and Bitzekis, Veronica LU
supervisor
organization
course
SOPA63 20131
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
former drug addicts, social worlds, identity, social relationships, closed doors
language
Swedish
additional info
Examiner: Hans-Edvard Roos
id
3812581
date added to LUP
2013-06-14 09:34:19
date last changed
2013-06-14 09:34:19
@misc{3812581,
  abstract     = {{Between drug abuse and a more ordinary life – A qualitative study about former drug addicts experiences of past and present (translated title)

The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of a group of people after leaving a life of drug abuse behind to live a more ordinary life and to interpret these experiences in the light of interactional theory. The theoretic framework used was based on the concepts of social worlds, marginal conflicts, social identity and role-exit. We were interested in comparing the past and the present in terms of social relationships, shift in identity and if the interviewees experienced any difficulties related to their new role as drug-free. The study was based on six semi-structured qualitative interviews conducted over a period of two weeks. We found that the social relationships of the interviewees during the time of drug abuse were based on the notion of exchange. Many talked in terms of closed doors between different (incompatible) social worlds and the isolation that could be a result of this. The interviewees were in different stages of shifting their identity from being a former drug addict into something else. They wanted to move on but it was difficult to pin point exactly what this meant. Different symbolic values and properties were important in shifting the identity towards the society in large and as a kind of receipt, a drivers license wore a strong symbolic value for the interviewees. Many of the interviewees could feel insecure in their new role as drug-free. Even though they all said they were being treated well, some residues from their past lives in forms of hepatitis C and debts still affected their sense of identity today.}},
  author       = {{Ipsen, Gustav and Bitzekis, Veronica}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Mellan missbruk och Svenssonliv – En kvalitativ studie om före detta missbrukares upplevelser av dåtid och nutid.}},
  year         = {{2013}},
}