Prospectus
The Evolution of the “American Junkie,” and the Ensuing Effects of the Stigmatization of Addiction on Past and Present Public Health Policy
Detailing My Project:
For my thesis, I will be examining the evolution of the stereotypical image of the American Junkie. Addicts are often portrayed as social deviants, threats to the overall safety of society, and most importantly, unredeemable outlaws that are not worth the resources required to save them. In my research, I will be scrutinizing the portrayal of drug users and addicts in popular culture, focusing on notable American movies featuring drug use and abuse. I will then investigate the effects that this stigmatizing image has on public health policy.
Drug policy has systematically failed to provide viable treatment options for addicts in search of sobriety. The government of the United States has typically focused on punitively punishing drug users, creating a cycle of imprisonment and continued drug abuse upon release. This overarching policy treats addicts like criminals, and is considered by many to be outdated and ineffective. However, Vermont is leading the push to destigmatize addiction, treating drug addiction as a chronic brain disease and granting addicts access to treatment instead of prison. I will be researching the changes implemented both statewide by Governor Shumlin, and countrywide by the Obama Administration. These changes have created a new approach to drug policy that has and will continue to revolutionize the way society treats addiction, shifting it from a criminal issue to a public health problem.
The Organization of My Thesis:
My project will consist of multiple sections. I will begin by providing a historical context of the stigmatization of drug addiction. I continue by examining approximately ten films, each detailed in separate sections. I will watch each film, critique the portrayal of the featured addict, and discuss the impact the portrayal has on both the masses and public health policy as a whole. Following my investigations of the films, I will then delve more deeply into the public policy surrounding addiction. I will give a historical background on the development and evolution of drug policy, researching various government strategies on both a countrywide stage and a statewide, Vermont-centric, platform. I will examine the current push to shift drug policy towards health care advocacy for addicts, focusing on the forerunner of the charge, Vermont’s Governor Shumlin. I will craft a conclusion that summarizes my findings.
Primary and Secondary Sources That will Inform My Work:
Currently, I am planning on examining Trash (1970), the prolific film produced by Andy Warhol, which chronicles the life of a young addict seeking his daily fix. I will examine The Panic in Needle Park (1971), a film starkly portraying the everyday struggles in the lives of the heroin addicts of New York’s infamous Needle Park. I will be unpacking Coffy (1971), which showcases the effects of the heroin epidemic in Harlem, as seen through the eyes of a vigilante nurse. Story of a Junkie (1987) is revered as one of the most realistic depictions of hard drug usage in New York, starring actual addict John Spaceley. Drugstore Cowboy (1989) follows an addict and his family, and their inevitable fall into poverty and crime. I will review the portrayal of youth and addiction through Leonardo DiCaprio’s role in The Basketball Diaries (1995). I will observe the world of drug distribution through the film Pusher (1996), noting the characteristics of the frightening and violent drug lords. Gia (1998) is a cinematic take on the life of Gia Carangi, a top model who struggled with addiction throughout the height of her fame. I will complete my critical film observations with Requiem for a Dream (2000), a deeply disturbing depiction of typical “junkie life.” These films are all available either through Middlebury’s library, or for download on iTunes.
A secondary body of work will support my research. I will be reading an assortment of scholastic studies on drug use and abuse in both Hollywood and society. The Middlebury library has an extensive section on drug use, and I will use these books to deepen my understanding of the stigmatization of drug culture. I will also use various books on actual drug policy, tracking its evolution over the years through the leadership of different politicians. For a humanistic and personal perspective, I will read numerous biographies and fictional novels featuring addicts and addiction. I have purchased Scar Tissue (Anthony Keidis) and Life (Keith Richards) to garner an idea of how an addict themself feels in society. I will read the infamous A Million Little Pieces (James Frey) and Go Ask Alice (Beatrice Sparks) to further understand how addicts are portrayed in terms of consumer consumption by the masses.
Finally, I will use multiple speeches from different political administrations that discuss the recent policy changes. I will focus on the President’s Inaugural National Drug Control Strategy in 2010, and compare this with his 2012 and 2014 National Drug Control Strategy speeches. I will also closely examine Governor Shumlin’s State Address, and follow up with smaller speeches that he has given on the topic of addiction.
My Original Contribution to Scholarship:
My project will contribute to scholarship by examining the stigmatizing image of addicts created by popular American culture, and theorizing this stigma’s effects on public health policy surrounding drug usage and addiction. I will be critically unpacking the depiction of addiction in a wide range of movies over a lengthy time period, showcasing how the changing images of drug addicts are manufactured to the masses. I will add to our knowledge on public health policy, and provide insight on the changes taking place during the present time. I hope to contribute to the understanding of why drug addicts were consistently marginalized in public health policy, and shed light on unfair and negative effects of this prejudicial stigma.