Policy Press

The Governance of Female Drug Users

Women's Experiences of Drug Policy

By Natasha Du Rose

Published

May 27, 2015

Page count

356 pages

ISBN

978-1847426727

Dimensions

234 x 156 mm

Imprint

Policy Press

Published

Jun 1, 2016

Page count

356 pages

ISBN

978-1447334460

Dimensions

Imprint

Policy Press

Published

Jun 1, 2016

Page count

356 pages

ISBN

978-1447334477

Dimensions

Imprint

Policy Press

Published

May 27, 2015

Page count

356 pages

ISBN

978-1447354727

Dimensions

Imprint

Policy Press
The Governance of Female Drug Users
Download via OAPEN

Available Open Access under CC-BY-NC licence. This book is the first to examine how female drug user's identities, and hence their experiences, are shaped by drug policies. It analyses how the subjectivities ascribed to women users within drug policy sustain them in their problematic use and reinforce their social exclusion. Challenging popular misconceptions of female users, the book calls for the formulation of drug policies to be based on gender equity and social justice. It will appeal to academics in the social sciences, practitioners and policy makers.

"A must-read for anyone wanting to understand the various ways in which discourses of women’s drug use shape drug policies in the UK, USA and Canada and women’s sense of selves as drug users." Jo Phoenix, University of Leicester

"A well-written, thorough account from women who inhabit social worlds that remain deeply misunderstood." Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey

"A welcome addition to feminist scholarship. Natasha Du Rose vividly demonstrates how women’s identities and experiences are shaped by punitive and contradictory drug policies." Susan Boyd, University of Victoria, Canada

“Beautifully written, innovative, readable and well researched, Natasha Du Rose's book is a sophisticated contribution to the very little knowledge there is about female drug users.” Pat Carlen, University of Leicester

Natasha Du Rose is a lecturer in criminology and sociology at the University of Roehampton, UK. She has extensive research experience in drug use and policy and has also conducted research on restorative justice and self-injury. Before receiving her PhD at the University of Bath in 2006, Natasha worked in women's therapy and crisis centres for seven years, co-ordinating and training helpline volunteers and training professionals on women's mental health.

Part One;

Introduction;

Research Context;

Political Context;

Part Two;

Prohibition;

Medicalisation;

Welfarisation;

Part Three;

Psychosocial Accounts;

Social Stories;

Conclusion;

Appendix: Research methods.