The role of the social sciences in drug and alcohol research: An overview
Margaret Hamilton
Department of Public Health and Community Medicine
University of Melbourne, VIC
PP: 062 - 093
Abstract
Social sciences have been somewhat secondary, behind medicine and behavioural psychology, in informing this field for most of this century. The expanded conception of alcohol and other drugs both allows and requires new inputs from social scientists if we are to be properly informed about the impact and meaning of these new directions. Given the complex behaviours and the highly political nature of this field, social scientists might have the necessary breadth to encompass otherwise divergent concepts to inform future development.
When overviewing the research and discourse in the alcohol and drug arena over the past decade, one is struck by the eclecticism of the field; the growth of psychology which has, to some degree, overtaken the former dominance of medicine and the broadened span of disciplines with active research inputs such as economists; the relative immaturity in social science theoretical development and its predominant descriptive mode. This paper will attempt to whet the appetite of social scientists and introduce some of the current issues in this field; where possible, identifying Australian contributions.
With increased resources this area has grown in the past decade through the National Campaign Against Drug Abuse launched following the first example of our (then) Prime Minister crying on TV. It has subsequently focussed attention on public policy with a strong commitment to prevention grounded in a framework of 'new' public health. This has expanded the horizon from a once dominant concern with those who were dependent and had problems on substances to a population wide perspective and consideration of all Australians' consumption of these substances.
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