A "Map" of Common Points of View in the Discourse about Drug Addicts: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

Drug use continues to be one of the key public health problems, so it is particularly relevant to develop effective prevention programs targeted at different groups of young people. In this case, any preventive measure must necessarily rely on the results of empirical research. The article presents the results of the preparatory phase of the study of social representations about drug addicts, made in the framework of the theory of social representations (in the framework of the Geneva School ideas developed by V. Doisy and colleagues). The aim of the study was to identify the "map" of the common points of view in the discourse about drug addicts. The sample consisted of 308 people (195 men and 112 women, and one respondent did not state his gender), aged 16 to 47 years (median age is 25 years). The results provide empirical support for the hypothesis of the authors of the "map" of common points of view in the discourse about drug addicts.

Keywords

• drug addicts
• the theory of social representations
• "map" of common points of view in the discourse about drug addicts
• public and private spheres
• medical