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Cultural Competence to Cultural Obsolescence: Drug Use, Stigma and Consumerism

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Drugs, Identity and Stigma

Abstract

Using the concept of the drug apartheid, this chapter explores how, within an epoch of neoliberal consumer capitalism, a hierarchy of substance use exists; with the righteous consumption of licit drugs inferring cultural competence and effective citizenship whilst inappropriate drug use infers cultural obsolescence, the failure of users to abide by neoliberal notions of responsible consumption and play a productive role in society. In doing so, we argue that it is only through a consideration of the position and outcomes of all drug consumption within the ever-evolving context of consumerism, that we can fully locate the historical and contemporary existence, application and consequences of stigmatisation and illustrate the purposeful role this serves in ensuring the smooth order of the socio-economic status quo.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Leicester, Leicester, UK

    Tammy Ayres

  2. The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK

    Stuart Taylor

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  1. Tammy Ayres
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  2. Stuart Taylor
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Correspondence to Stuart Taylor .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, Durham University, Durham, UK

    Michelle Addison

  2. Department of Social Work, Education and Community Wellbeing, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

    William McGovern

  3. Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

    Ruth McGovern

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Ayres, T., Taylor, S. (2022). Cultural Competence to Cultural Obsolescence: Drug Use, Stigma and Consumerism. In: Addison, M., McGovern, W., McGovern, R. (eds) Drugs, Identity and Stigma. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-98286-7_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-98286-7_9

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