SOCIAL COHESION, CULTURAL IDENTITY, AND DRUG USE IN MEXICAN RURAL COMMUNITIES

Abstract

The objective of this study was to explore drug use in Mexican rural communities and its relationship to social cohesion, cultural identity, migration, and transculturation. Community models typification was used, considering cohesion as the central point of analysis. The research was conducted during 15-day periods in each of nine communities during 1991. Both documentary and ethnographic techniques were used to gather information. Results indicated that rural communities where there was little or no drug use among its members show more social cohesion, cultural identity, and community links consolidation, and more capacity for integrating change. This pattern is most apparent among young community members who have had more contact with the outer world (drug trafficking, North American culture, and Mexican urban culture). [Translations are provided in the International Abstracts Section of this issue.]

• Social Cohesion
• Urbanization
• Industrialization
• Migration
• Acculturation
• Drug use
• Rural Communities
• Consensual regulation

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Fernando Wagner

Fernando A. Wagner, Ph.D., is a member of the Mexican National System of Researchers, and currently works at the Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría (National Institute on Psychiatry). He teaches graduate and undergraduate courses for several universities in Mexico, and also collaborates as Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in the United States. A sociologist by training, he obtained the degree of Doctor of Science from the Department of Mental Hygiene of the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health (2000), a university he had visited when he was a fellow in the distinguished Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program in Substance Abuse (1992–93) and obtained a Master's of Public Health diploma (1994). Originally from Mexico, Dr. Wagner's experience in public mental health over the past 20 years includes working with a variety of national and international teams sharing commitments to research, policy-making, interventions, that have produced a number of publications.

David B. Diaz

David Bruno Diaz obtained a degree in Psychology at the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (Mexico City) and assisted several post graduate courses on psychotherapy, social and psychosocial topics. He is Director of Research of the Centros de Integración Juvenil (CIJ), an NGO with a network of 63 regional units throughout the Mexican Republic, where 2000 professionals and 6000 volunteers work together in drug-dependence research, prevention, and treatment programs. Mr. Diaz has participated in the design and implementation of prevention programs, and coordinated a program of training on psychotherapy of drug “abuse.” As Director of Research he has conducted several quantitative and qualitative studies on psychosocial factors associated to drug “abuse,” sociological, ethnographic, and clinical studies, evaluative research, and a system of epidemiological information.

Aída L. López

Aida L. López received a Bachelor's degree in Sociology at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma (Mexico City), and currently is a doctoral student at the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (Spain). She has worked as researcher at Centros de Integración Juvenil, collaborating on epidemiological and social studies, and at the National Institute on Indian Themes (Mexico). She has also been coordinator of environmental projects at the NGO Servicios Logísticos Mexicanos, and participated in postgraduate courses, workgroups, and organizations regarding Mexican-Indian and environmental issues.

Ma. Elena Collado

Ma. Elena Collado, M.A., obtained her Bachelor's degree in Social Psychology at Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (Mexico City). She completed a postgraduate course in Public Opinion Studies at Universidad Iberoamericana (Mexico City), and a Master's degree in Social Psychology at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. She worked as a researcher at Centros de Integración Juvenil from 1991 to 1993, and at the Instituto Mexicano de Investigación de Familia y Población from 1993 to 1999. She has taught graduate courses in Mental Health, and at the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana. She is currently an independent researcher in a study on Children and Family Violence requested by the governmental agency “Desarrollo Integral para la Familia”, and is a consultant of the Population Council.

Evelyn Aldaz

Evelyn Aldaz, M.A., obtained her Bachelor's degree in Psychology at the Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana (Mexico City), and a Master's in Social Psychology at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de México. She has worked at Centros de Integración Juvenil as a member of the Research Department. For two years she did research at the Instituto Mexicano de Investigación de Familia y Población on the subject of reproductive health in youth populations. She has also worked in research activities at the Colegio de México y CIESEX and as psychology teacher in the Universidad Intercontinental. During the last four years she has been research consultant for the evaluation of reproductive health programs at AVSC International.