Os passos indesejáveis: um estudo do contexto sociocultural do uso e usuários de crack nas cidades do Rio de Janeiro e Nova Iorque.

Abstract

This thesis is a investigation of the individual which consumes crack cocaine abusively at the cities of Rio de Janeiro and New York, especially those which were in social vulnerable situation. In this sense, was seen to know how the social vulnerability process corroborated to the abuse of drugs, focusing mainly on those who were marginalized, especially those living on the streets, at the spots of drug use. Rio de Janeiro and new york were chosen by the fact that there is a population of crack cocaine users in considerable numbers. Therefore, the aim was to analyze if the socio-cultural profiles of these subjects would resemble. Complex meanings and sociocultural connotations which exercised significant influence in the motivations of the abusive drug use were analyzed. Thus, in the pages that follow, the objective is to deepen the understanding of social phenomena that interact with or over the abusive use of crack cocaine and their users, based on respect for individuals investigated. The research process was developed through participant observation technique, life history and application of semi-structured interviews with crack cocaine users in both cities. Was discovered that both in Rio de Janeiro, as in new york, the socio-cultural profile of the participants were similar: socially marginalized people, excluded, victims of racism, prejudice, misery, poverty, family conflict and surrounded by the effects of prohibitionist policies and police repression and incarceration. It can be said that the vulnerability process of these individuals was presented in the life experience before to crack cocaine use. These problems have widened the extent that these subjects became abusive users, especially because the stigma and consequent exclusion of the "burden" of being , "cracudos" or "crackheads", which further emphasized the rupture of social links, in most cases, already weakened. The results show that, while the cities of different countries with economic, cultural and social realities different, the abusive users population of crack cocaine is similar with regard to the aspects - especially the failures - social, cultural and economic in the process of life organization, strengthening the arguments around the sociocultural dimensions of use.