The dramaturgical model of social interaction: the case of former users of psychoactive substances

This paper describes the features of the structure of social interaction of former users of psychoactive substances by applying “dramaturgical research guidelines“. “Dramaturgical research guidelines” – conventional name that links generally similar references of interpretative sociology trends. The main constituent parts of “guidelines” – interpretative concepts that allow to monitor particular social interactions more reasonably. Dramaturgical research guidelines were chosen taking into consideration the specificity of the group of former drug users. The specificity of group is characterized by the fact that persons who once used psychoactive substances and decided to stop using them find themselves in a new and specific “reality” in which they have to construct and give meanings to their actions and behaviour differently than before and to form the identity of self-consciousness. One of the main components of their specific reality appears to be the making of the role of the “former drug user” and its presentation to the environment so that it would approve his/her role. The aim of the paper is to reveal the features of structures of social interaction of the former users of psychoactive substances by applying the methodological principles of “dramaturgical research guidelines”. The objectives of the paper are as follows: 1) to define the theoretical, methodological and methodical principles of the dissertation; 2) to accentuate the structural units of “dramaturgical research guidelines”; 3) to describe the features of structures of social interaction of the former users of psychoactive substances in accordance with methodological principles of “dramaturgical research guidelines” and respective definitions