Resisting exclusion

The meaning of the use of inhalants in different contexts in young people in a street situation in the city of La Paz

Abstract

The objective of this research is to inform about the meanings that young people in street situations assign to the use of inhalants in the city of La Paz - Bolivia. The study is based on two sources: visual and written material produced in creative workshops and subsequent dialogues with the participants. Through a narrative methodology with a socio-constructionist approach, preliminary results were presented and discussed with the participants to deepen the construction of the meaning of the use of inhalants. We find that these meanings are not static or generalizable, but dynamic and particular, responding to the experience of each participant. Moreover, the meanings are constructed in relation to the different physical and social spaces with which they interact - such as aid institutions, street groups and society in general - to resist social exclusion. We propose that a greater interaction with other contexts different from the street can decrease the frequency of consumption of this type of drugs. More research is needed to confirm this last point, so that it can be implemented in the future in the design of interventions.