50611 - Drugs, Society, and Health: Sociological Perspectives on Substance Use

Description

This session will explore the complex social, cultural, and structural factors shaping drug use and drug-related policies. Papers will examine how drug use intersects with broader social systems such as healthcare, law enforcement, education, housing, and employment. Topics will include the social and structural drivers of drug use, the role of stigma, and racial and gender disparities in drug-related outcomes. Papers will also explore intersectionality, focusing on how categories and systems such as racism, classism, sexism, and geography influence experiences with drugs and policy responses. Contributions that utilize innovative theoretical frameworks, qualitative or quantitative methodologies, or interdisciplinary approaches will be discussed. This session aims to generate a robust dialogue on the social and structural dimensions of drug use, fostering insights that can inform more effective and equitable policies and interventions.

Sub Unit

• Section on Drugs and Society / Drugs, Society, and Health: Sociological Perspectives on Substance Use

Presider

• Xuemeng Li, CUNY-Hunter College

Individual Presentations

• “A moment of self discovery”: Navigating Healthcare Through the Illicit use of Prescription Stimulants - Katherine Clarke, University of Oregon

• Mapping Syndemics in Sexual Networks: Exploring Intimate Partner Violence and Drug Use Among Queer Men - Brandon Craig, Northeastern University

Session Organizer

• Suzan Walters, New York University