The Social Value of Drug Addicts Uses of the Useless

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Synopsis

Drug users are typically portrayed as worthless slackers, burdens on society, and just plain useless—culturally, morally, and economically. By contrast, this book argues that the social construction of some people as useless is in fact extremely useful to other people. Leading medical anthropologists Merrill Singer and J. Bryan Page analyze media representations, drug policy, and underlying social structures to show what industries and social sectors benefit from the criminalization, demonization, and even popular glamorization of addicts. Synthesizing a broad range of key literature and advancing innovative arguments about the social construction of drug users and their role in contemporary society, this book is an important contribution to public health, medical anthropology, popular culture, and related fields.

Book details

Author:
Merrill Singer, J Bryan Page
ISBN:
9781315417158
Related ISBNs:
9781611321180, 9781315417172, 9781611321173
Publisher:
Taylor and Francis
Pages:
248
Reading age:
Not specified
Includes images:
Yes
Date of addition:
2023-07-11
Usage restrictions:
Copyright
Copyright date:
2014
Copyright by:
Taylor 
Adult content:
No
Language:
English
Categories:
Nonfiction, Social Studies