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Mapping the Drugged Body: Telling Different Kinds of Drug-using Stories
1Goldsmiths, University of London.
Body & Society
|September 7, 2021
Summary
This study explores body-mapping to understand the resourcefulness of people who inject drugs. It reveals alternative ways of knowing drugged bodies, fostering more supportive approaches to drug use.
Area of Science:
- Sociology of Health and Illness
- Qualitative Research Methods
- Drug Use Studies
Background:
- Drugged bodies are often stereotyped as passive and abject.
- Limited understanding exists regarding the lived experiences and resourcefulness of individuals who use drugs.
- Alternative perspectives are needed to challenge stigmatizing narratives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the concept of 'drugged bodies' beyond conventional depictions.
- To investigate the potential of body-mapping as a method for understanding drug use.
- To uncover alternative ways of knowing and relating to drug-using experiences.
Main Methods:
- Utilized body-mapping as an inventive qualitative research method.
- Engaged participants who inject heroin and crack cocaine in London, UK.
- Invited participants to draw their bodies to articulate drug-using experiences.
Main Results:
- Body-mapping facilitated understanding of drugged bodies in relation to human and non-human others.
- Identified three key body types: sensing-bodies, temporal-bodies, and environment-bodies.
- Challenged passive depictions by highlighting the resourcefulness of individuals.
Conclusions:
- Body-mapping offers a 'more-than-human' storytelling approach.
- Recognizing diverse 'drugged bodies' can lead to more hospitable ways of living with drugs.
- This method provides valuable insights into the complex realities of drug use.
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