NCJ Number
101135
Date Published
1985
Length
181 pages
Annotation
Using participant observation in a drug trafficking subculture of a county in the sunbelt of the Southwestern United States, this book presents an ethnographic description and analysis of the work and social lifestyles of upper echelon drug dealers.
Abstract
In the author's 6-year (1974-80) association with the drug-dealing subculture, she attended their social gatherings, traveled with them, formed close friendships with several, and observed them planning and executing their business activities. She conducted indepth taped interviews and cross-checked observations with other data sources when possible. Periodic followup interviews were conducted through 1983. The study's existential-sociology perspective focuses on how the drug dealers lived, felt, thought, and acted. In setting drug trafficking within a sociohistorical context, the study shows how drug dealing has been affected by trends within the United States and abroad. The portrayed occupational subculture consists of individuals and small groups of ''wheeler-dealers'' who operate competitively and entrepreneurially in a manner similar to legitimate businesspersons. 172 references and subject index. (Publisher abstract modified)