The Black Female Addict's Career Options: A Typology and Theory

Abstract

Female addicts are typically treated as one group with similar needs and experiences. This is particularly true for Black female addicts. This study of Black men and women entering an inner-city methadone maintenance treatment program attempts to delineate (1) how Black women differ from Black men in their heroin-using careers and (2) differences among Black women in their integration of drug use and lifestyle. Findings show men and women do develop different patterns of criminal activity, drug use, family ties, and labor force participation. Further analysis using multiple discriminant techniques indicates that Black female addicts are not one homogeneous group. Conclusions based on these findings suggest that sex role expectations may structure heroin use. Other social locators such as age may also delimit available career paths, lending further support to the theoretical framework employed here.