“I am not a junkie”: Social categorization and differentiation among people who use drugs

Beyond troubled and untroubled positions – an intersectional analysis of siblings who are bereaved by drug-related deaths’ meaning-making stories about their deceased brothers and sisters

“…There is also a strong association between categorization and stereotypical attributes (Hogg, 2001 ). Being categorized as a stereotypical “drug addict” may carry deep-seated cultural assumptions regarding the individual’s behaviour and personality and can bear consequences of moral judgement from others due to the stigma associated with the category (Sibley et al, 2023 ). As such, an investigation into categorizing can explain how positions, hierarchies of power, and mechanisms of inclusion or exclusion may be produced (Staunæs, 2003 ).…”

“…The value of studying how social categories intersect in concrete and diverse situations is due to the categories’ production of positions with different levels of power and issues (Staunæs, 2003 ). In this article, we utilize the concept of intersectionality as an analytical tool to explore how different categories work and intersect in the bereaved siblings’ stories about their relationships with their deceased brother or sister and what consequences the intersections have in repairing these siblings’ troubled subject position as “addicts.” Enhancing awareness and deepening insight into the significance of categorization processes can broaden practitioners’ and social affiliates’ comprehension of the sociocultural context’s pivotal role in shaping the experiences of stigmatized bereavement (Sibley et al, 2023 ).…”