Transferable skills and the drug dependent: a journey through the city of Glasgow.

Hackett, Charlie

Abstract

Voices narrate their views on skills, transferable skills, marginalisation and poverty in relation to society, opportunity and drug addiction. Narcotic addicts need to educate themselves on where to source and buy drugs and how to go about raising enough money to buy substances such as heroin. Drug dependents need to be knowledgeable, determined, and resourceful to sustain their addiction. They need large amounts of money to feed their habit and will generally get this through illegal and anti-social activities. They lead dangerous lives on the margins of society. This arts practice-led research paper investigates questions around dependency and the possibility of addicts learning skills from being addicted. Using qualitative research data gathered through socially-engaged artists methods, the paper considers whether the skills in evidence amongst drug addicts (such as injecting skills, drug dealing, money-making skills and negotiating skills) have the potential to be transferable and used in ways that would benefit both the dependent and society. The paper explores the notion that drug workers and society should consider the potential of dependents transferable skills in aiding the health and wellbeing of addicts. Paulo Frieres theories around the Pedagogy of the Oppressed through problem solving education and dialogical discussion are applied to the skills created as a result of being addicted. The methods, process, and discourse used by Suzanne Lacy in her collaborative public art works resonate with the research in considering the arts as a beneficial way of creating dialogue between dependents and society. The artist as social researcher follows the journey of the opiate dependent through deprived areas of Glasgow, interviewing dependents, drug workers and social workers, while reflecting on the relationship of the environment and poverty to drug dependents and their skills.

Citation

HACKETT, C. 2013. Transferable skills and the drug dependent: a journey through the city of Glasgow. International journal of social, political and community agendas in the arts [online], 7(3), pages 1-14. Available from: https://doi.org/10.18848/2326-9960/CGP/v07i03/36367

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 30, 2013
• Online Publication Date: Sep 30, 2013
• Publication Date: Sep 30, 2013
• Deposit Date: Jul 28, 2014
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 28, 2014
• Journal: International journal of social, political and community agendas in the arts
• Print ISSN: 2326-9960
• Electronic ISSN: 2327-2104
• Publisher: Common Ground Research Networks
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 7
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 1-14
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.18848/2326-9960/CGP/v07i03/36367
• Keywords: Addiction; Transferable skills; Opiate dependency; Experiential learning; Socially engaged arts practice; Practice led research; Ethnography; Social deprivation; Social exclusion; Recovery
• Public URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10059/1003
• Contract Date: Jul 28, 2014