Citation

Gabe J, Thorogood N. Sociol. Rev. 1986; 34(4): 737-772.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1986, The Editorial Board of The Sociological Review, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1111/j.1467-954X.1986.tb00695.x

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Social scientific studies of prescribed drag use have played an important part in heightening awareness that their use can best be understood when considered within a social context. From a sociological point of view, however, these studies often suffer from limitations which restrict their descriptive and explanatory power. This paper discusses these limitations before attempting to develop an alternative approach which focuses on the meanings attached to prescribed drug use, and relates these meanings to the ways in whch the users of these drugs manage their everyday lives as members of particular collectivities. In order to bridge the gap between stracture and experience prescribed drugs are conceptualised as resources which, along with other material and socio‐cultural resources, are both differentially available and variously experienced. Taking minor tranquillisers/hypnotics (e.g. Valium, Mogadon) as a test case attention is focused first on these drags' availability to samples of black and white working‐class women and the meanings which they attribute to these drags. The different patterns of drug use which are found are then related to these women's varying access to and experience of a range of other resources (including paid work, social supports, leisure, cigarettes and religion). This provides a basis for explaining different patterns of drug use and hopefully illustrates the usefulness of 'resource' as a bridging concept between social structure and everyday life.