The change process of the discursive configuration “consumption of drugs”: a research”

Symposium: Epistemological foundation and methodological exactness regarding research in the discursive science

Franco Mazzotti - Gian Piero Turchi -Francesca Zamboni - Alessandro Zamai - Gigi Dal Bon
Dipartimento di Psicologia Generale, University of Padova

INTRODUCTION
the work of the so called “Ragazzi della Panchina” Association (RDP) represents a shift in the working methods within the drug consumers field
METHOD
The research aim is to evaluate the efficacy of the interventions carried out by RDP. This aim was to produce a change in the way of how the drug consumption and drug consumers are usually meant by people.
Target group: the whole talking community or rather all the narrating voices who concur to maintain the biographic career of the so-called drug addicted. 80 articles from local newspapers published from 1994 to 2004 have been analyzed and an ad hoc questionnaire was filled in 534 people who know the association, 389 who didn’t know it and 26 members of it. Methodology: MADIT (textual analysis).
DISCUSSION/RESULTS
Since 1995 to 1999 the discursive processes configured this reality in conflict/contrast with the community. In 2000 a change occurs in the talking-community discursive practices: drug addiction is now something in which everyone is involved. Conclusions: the research points out that the intervention changes the talking community way of thinking: the drug addicted is no more someone to avoid but an interlocutor.

To read free the whole paper ask it to labsalute.psicologia@unipd.it