The Social Value of Drug Addicts: Uses of the Useless

by Merrill Singer

Drug users are typically portrayed as worthless slackers, burdens on society, and just plain useless—culturally, morally, and economically. By contrast, this book argues that the social construction of some people as useless is in fact extremely useful to other people. Leading medical anthropologists Merrill Singer and J. Bryan Page analyze media representations, drug policy, and underlying social structures to show what industries and social sectors benefit from the criminalization, demonization, and even popular glamorization of addicts. Synthesizing a broad range of key literature and advancing innovative arguments about the social construction of drug users and their role in contemporary society, this book is an important contribution to public health, medical anthropology, popular culture, and related fields.

Genres: Drugs

249 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2013

Reviews

[Johan]

A really good introduction to a critical social science perspective on drugs, drug use and those persons who use drugs. Decent discussion of the process of Othering and a nice overview of representations of "drug addicts" in literature and in movies. A little too "basic" for me overall (doing research on the topic myself) - great introduction book, but I would first of all recommend the book Comprehending drug use by the same authors.

[Mills College Library]

305.9084 S61731 2014