Journal de l'alcoolisme et de la toxicomanie
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Black Females: Drug Subculture, Inner City, and Black Family Life

Eloise Dunlap

Objective: The paper draws from a National Institutes of Health project titled "Heterosexual Black Females: Socialization and HIV Risks in Scripts and Practices."It was carried out in New York, NY. Focus is on heterosexual Black females relationships. Females were between the ages of 18 to 50 and used drugs.

Method: The research was an ethnographic study. Respondents consisted of low income, heterosexual Black females ages 18-50. Total respondents in study was 99: 16 respondents ages 18-20, 39 respondents ages 21-29 and 44 respondents ages 30-59. Three major activities provided ethnographic data: Focus Groups, Observations and Qualitative Interviews. From 2-4 interview sessions were administered in order to complete qualitative protocols. Participants completed follow-up interviews at 6-month intervals after the baseline.

Results: Findings demonstrate the process by which street drug subculture heavily impact upon inner city Black family. The extended Black family has historically been the safety net which enabled survival of the Black Family. The drug subculture overtime is weakening the extended Black family.

Conclusion: Findings from this study can be used to focus on behaviour patterns. Programs can begin to address conduct norms and behaviour patterns related to drug subculture. Such programs can be implemented in inner city areas.