research on addiction

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Mirfardi A, Shahriari M. Ethnographic Study of Folk Norms and Recommendations Encouraging Drug Use (Case of Arab People of Ahvaz City). etiadpajohi 2017; 11 (43) :105-126
URL: http://etiadpajohi.ir/article-1-1081-en.html

Objective: The study of subcultures is one of the most important approaches for the identification and investigation of social injuries. The contribution of ethnography to research on narcotics is to focus on social relationships with the centrality of drug use. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the ethnic subcultures (Arab people of Ahvaz) and the folk norms and recommendations that encourage the use of narcotic drugs. Method: This was an ethnographic and a qualitative research. Purposive sampling was used and theoretical saturation was used to achieve the sample adequacy. The domain of this research was the subculture of the Arab nation. Three-step coding was used to analyze the research data. The first step was open coding where important concepts were extracted. In the axial coding step, axial codes were drawn out of the conceptualization of important issues. Results: Causes of the tendency towards beliefs, customs, and traditions were revealed to be parents' false education regarding the relatively high size of Arabs' families, misleading cultural propaganda, lack of knowledge, lack of welfare facilities, unemployment, low quality of life, and adherence to ethnic customs in the domain of drug use. In terms of conventional beliefs about narcotic drugs, the findings suggest that the shared understanding and values can act as clear rules for drug users. Knowledge about drug use is transmitted through an interconnected social network, which represents a subculture of narcotic drugs. Conclusion: It can be argued that the beliefs and norms encouraging drug use have been commonly used in traditional medicine for the treatment or reduction of pain associated with diseases of the old world.