The drug addicts - a linguistic construction? : A critical discourse analysis of verdicts concerning drug related compulsory care

This study aimed to analyze statements made by professional practitioners and clients in verdicts related to compulsory drug treatment. The statements were examined in order to illustrate their contribution to the social construction of drug addicts. The study also aimed to address the power professionals have over individuals with drug problems. The data consisted of twelve verdicts obtained from administrative courts located in three different geographical areas in Sweden. Based on a qualitative approach we used a critical discourse analysis as a framework for the examination of vocabulary and sentence structures. The findings were further examined through a social constructivist approach and power theories. The results showed how all parties in the verdict can contribute to the social construction of drug addicts through substantial information that is given as well as the use of additional terms and discursive words. Themes and patterns identified within the statements showed how the clients’ life situation were described in terms of homelessness, unemployment, mental illness and crime. The results also showed that the clients were described as either responsible for or victimized by the drugs, a description that has a high impact on how the clients are subsequently perceived. It was also prominent that the professional statements, compared to the client’s, enjoyed higher degrees of credibility. The professional statements were also more often perceived as true due to the choice of words and structures of the sentences. Consequently, we could illustrate how professionals by the authority granted by their job title are given the power to depict and affect the social construction of drug addicts as a group