An ethnography of what meaning recovery has to rural heroin users
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An ethnography of what meaning recovery has to rural heroin users everyday lives in Dumfries and Galloway.
IRAS ID
216146
Contact name
Joe Brown
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 2 days
Research summary
This study will explore what meaning drugs recovery has for heroin user’s everyday lives in rural Scotland. Similar studies focus on recovered users, but their perspective is different to those who use heroin. Further, studies focus on urban drugs use to the exclusion of rural drugs use, however, in rural Scotland drugs use is increasing (Scottish Government 2015). Rural drug users may face hitherto unknown needs and challenges to urban drugs users with regards to recovery but have not been investigated since the introduction of the Road to Recovery, drugs strategy (Scottish Government 2008), moved the emphasis of recovery from harm reduction to abstinence.
Employing an ethnographic methodology allows a rich vein of knowledge and understanding of the participant’s everyday lives, behaviours and relationships. Ethnographic traditions are based within a naturalistic paradigm which was developed to study cultures in their natural habitats. This is essential as heroin users are secretive and marginalised because of the illegal and illicit nature of their drug taking and have traditionally been difficult to identify and engage by researchers.
Participants recruited from the NHS Specialist Drug and Alcohol Service may initially become key informants with others becoming peripheral informants. Due to their heroin use participants may lead chaotic and unpredictable lifestyles, leading to meetings not being attended; ethnography facilitates this by allowing the researcher to engage with participants when and where appropriate and possible.
Data collection extends to participants-observations, interviews, narrative and life histories and field notes.
Data analysis will be developed through thematic analysis, analysing interviews, narratives, discourses and observations that will be conducted with the participants, these will be categorised to identify common themes pertaining to the research question and aims and discussed.
Ethical consideration will extend to participation sheet and consent form. Ethically the researcher will be exposed to illicit drugs and their use, and potentially criminality or violence. As a registered nurse he will make it apparent on the participation sheet that if he identifies a child at risk he will inform the appropriate authorities in order to protect the child and he will act to preserve life.
The study will last one year, with the researcher spending a minimum of 1 day per week in the field. The participant’s parameters are that they will be over 18 years old, using heroin and resident in Dumfries and Galloway region, participant numbers are uncertain, however, the researcher will aim for over 40 participants .
This study is independent and is not commissioned or funded by any outside bodies, however, the University of the West of Scotland is funding the researchers PhD through the University of Glasgow, who are the sponsors.REC name
West of Scotland REC 3
REC reference
17/WS/0195
Date of REC Opinion
6 Oct 2017
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion