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UBC Theses and Dissertations
Women and chemical dependency : a socialist feminist approach Raby, Rebecca Catherine
Abstract
This thesis applies a socialist feminist analysis to our understanding of women and chemical dependency. Most addiction models, such as the disease model, are based on a male norm, and isolate the individual from society. The influences of social and economic inequality are ignored. Socialist feminism examines capitalist patriarchy and its perpetuation of such inequalities. Applying this theory to chemical dependency in women, the social context of addiction can be better understood. This analysis is enhanced by the inclusion of qualitative and quantitative data collected as part of an evaluative report produced for Maiya House Society (Raby 1991). Forty-nine women who had completed chemical dependency treatment were interviewed. Women's experiences with chemical dependency are different from those of men. Women are more likely to use alcohol or prescription drugs than hard drugs, to experience social stigma, to develop alcohol-related health problems and to have been sexually abused. These experiences influence the treatment women require. Here, explorative findings suggest feminist, women-oriented treatment is needed. Also, post-treatment employment and a strong support network improve treatment success. Further research is necessary. The influence of gender roles and the experiences of chemically dependent women of colour and lesbian and bisexual women require investigation, as do the ramifications of feminist treatment.
Item Metadata
Title |
Women and chemical dependency : a socialist feminist approach
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Creator | |
Publisher |
University of British Columbia
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Date Issued |
1992
|
Description |
This thesis applies a socialist feminist analysis to our
understanding of women and chemical dependency. Most addiction
models, such as the disease model, are based on a male norm, and
isolate the individual from society. The influences of social
and economic inequality are ignored. Socialist feminism examines
capitalist patriarchy and its perpetuation of such inequalities.
Applying this theory to chemical dependency in women, the social
context of addiction can be better understood.
This analysis is enhanced by the inclusion of qualitative
and quantitative data collected as part of an evaluative report
produced for Maiya House Society (Raby 1991). Forty-nine women
who had completed chemical dependency treatment were interviewed.
Women's experiences with chemical dependency are different
from those of men. Women are more likely to use alcohol or
prescription drugs than hard drugs, to experience social stigma,
to develop alcohol-related health problems and to have been
sexually abused. These experiences influence the treatment women
require. Here, explorative findings suggest feminist, women-oriented
treatment is needed. Also, post-treatment employment
and a strong support network improve treatment success.
Further research is necessary. The influence of gender
roles and the experiences of chemically dependent women of colour
and lesbian and bisexual women require investigation, as do the
ramifications of feminist treatment.
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Extent |
2876242 bytes
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Genre | |
Type | |
File Format |
application/pdf
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Language |
eng
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Date Available |
2008-12-18
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Provider |
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
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Rights |
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.
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DOI |
10.14288/1.0086612
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URI | |
Degree | |
Program | |
Affiliation | |
Degree Grantor |
University of British Columbia
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Graduation Date |
1992-11
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Campus | |
Scholarly Level |
Graduate
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Aggregated Source Repository |
DSpace
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Item Media
Item Citations and Data
Rights
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.