Peer Learning Among a Group of Heroin Addicts in India

310 Pages·2012·5.06 MB·English

Peer Learning Among a Group of Heroin
Addicts in India: An Ethnographic Study
Amar Dhand
Thesis submitted to the University of Oxford for the degree of D.Phil
Green College
Trinity 2006 \
Is dukh dard sejamaane main koi aazadnahin hai.
Gam itne hain ki khushi yaad nahin hai.
Fariyad kisase karen?
Duniya wale hanske kahte hain kiyefariyad nahin hai.
In this world, no one is free from these troubles and pains.
There is so much suffering that happiness is not remembered.
Who should we request for help?
People of the world laugh and say that it is not a valid request.
AlokSharmaOl.03.05
11
This thesis is dedicated to the addicts of Yamuna Bazaar, from whom I learned so
much.
in
Abstract
This is an ethnographic account of peer learning among a group of heroin
'addicts' 1 in Delhi, India. This study responds to the limited attention given to
'naturalistic' or 'informal' peer learning patterns in the educational literature, and
the lack of explicit exploration of the phenomenon among drug user populations.
The study involved seven and a half months of fieldwork with the predominant
use of participant observation and semi-structured interviews to generate data.
Analysis was inductive and interpretive with the use of situated learning theory to
'tease out' patterns in the data. The participants were using and non-using addicts
affiliated to SHARAN, a non-governmental organization (NGO) in the religious
marketplace of Yamuna Bazaar. The group included approximately 300-500
members, 20 of whom were main informants. Analysis of the group organization
revealed community-based and masculinity-based characteristics that enabled the
group to manage stigma, promote 'positive' ideals, and co-construct non-
hegemonic masculinities. Peer-based outreach was identified as a form of
'institutional' peer learning in which peer educators performed the roles of
'doctor', 'role model', and 'counsellor' during interactions with 'clients' that had
the effect of disempowering clients in many cases. The practice of poetry in
which peers created couplets in alternating exchanges was identified as one form
of naturalistic peer learning that entailed processes of legitimate peripheral
participation, meaning negotiation, and reflective learning. Street 'doctory' in
which peers provided medical care in the form of procedures, illness discussions,
and health consultancy was identified as another naturalistic peer learning pattern
The term 'addict' is used in this thesis because it was the most prevalent self-
identification label used by the participants.
iv
involving processes of legitimate peripheral participation, meaning negotiation,
and learning through teaching. These findings suggest that naturalistic peer
learning involved co-participatory processes that manifested in a diversity of
everyday practices. It is recommended that engaging these processes and
practices would be useful for interventions, while further research should explore
such patterns in other contexts.
Acknowledgements
I am grateful to Geoffrey Walford. As my supervisor, he was an
inspirational teacher who shaped both my methodological and analytical thinking.
Wherever either of us was located in the world, he was consistently available and
supportive with rapid, honest, and thoughtful commentary. He had the
remarkable quality of making me feel comfortable and relaxed throughout the
process. I will always remember him as my mentor, colleague, and friend.
SHARAN and SAHARA NGOs were vital to the execution of this study.
They welcomed me into their interventions, engaged my queries and ideas, and
provided valuable insight on all the topics of this thesis. They also facilitated the
transcription and transliteration of the recordings, methodically produced by
Francis Joseph, to whom I am indebted. I hope the findings of this thesis will be
useful to the pioneering work of these organizations.
As this is a study in peer learning, I must recognize the important informal
learning enabled by my peers in Oxford. Elena Soucacou showed me the
importance of honesty and elegant simplicity in the development of ideas. Eric
Tucker, Russell Francis, Nick Hopwood, Juss Kaur, Lionel Joseph, Aisha Darr, L
Savithri, and Kentei Takaya encouraged rigor, creativity, and in-depth
contemplation in a way that connected my fleldwork to our collective everyday
experiences.
This study would not have been possible without the financial and
personal support from the Rhodes Trust. The organization not only provided the
means for these experiences, but it also introduced me to a number of globally-
engaged individuals with whom I enjoyed conversing.
VI
Of course, no statement of acknowledgment could be complete without
recognizing my family. Mom, Dad, and Ruby were unflinching supporters of my
stubborn pursuits, and I am forever grateful.
VII
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................. 1
1.1 RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY....................................................................................................2
1.2 PERSONAL MOTIVATIONS ........................................................................................................ 3
1.3 TERMINOLOGY........................................................................................................................ 5
1.4 STRUCTURE OF THE THESIS .....................................................................................................6
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW......................................................................................8
2.1 EDUCATIONAL STUDIES OF PEER LEARNING ............................................................................ 9
2.7.7 Peer learning in schools................................................................................................. 9
2.1.2 Workplace learning......................................................................................................21
2.1.3 Peer education.............................................................................................................. 25
2.1.4 Summary....................................................................................................................... 29
2.2 DRUG USE STUDIES...............................................................................................................30
2.2.7 Drug user ethnographies before AIDS.........................................................................31
2.2.2 Drug use studies during the AIDS era.......................................................................... 36
2.2.3 'Scattered'findings ofp eer learning among drug users .............................................. 41
2.2.4 Summary....................................................................................................................... 46
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY............................................................................................... 47
3.1 RESEARCH DESIGN ................................................................................................................48
5.7.7 Problems, settings, and questions................................................................................. 48
3.1.2 Sampling procedures.................................................................................................... 52
3.1.3 Methods to generate data............................................................................................. 54
3.2 THEORETICAL LENSES........................................................................................................... 55
3.2.7 Symbolic interactionism................................................................................................55
3.2.2 Refley.ivity..................................................................................................................... 56
3.3 ACCESS.................................................................................................................................51
3.3.1 Playing a part in the NGO............................................................................................ 58
3.3.2 Becoming a 'brother'.................................................................................................... 64
3.3.3 A friendship with Baba................................................................................................. 70
3.4 PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION AND SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS ....................................... 78
3.4.1 Participant observation................................................................................................ 78
3.4.2 Semi-structured interviews ...........................................................................................81
3.5 ANALYSIS...... ........................................................................................................................ 82
3.5.7 In-field analysis ............................................................................................................83
3.5.2 Out-of-fleld analysis..................................................................................................... 84
3.5.3 Theoretical lenses.........................................................................................................88
3.6 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS.................................................................................................... 89
3.6.1 Informed consent ..........................................................................................................89
3.6.2 Privacy and disclosure .................................................................................................91
3.6.3 Obligations to intervene ...............................................................................................92
CHAPTER 4: SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS......................................................................94
4.1 INDIA, DRUG USE, AND HIV/AIDS ........................................................................................ 95
4.2 YAMUNA BAZAAR, DELHI................................................................................................... 101
4.3 'FRONTSTAGE'REGIONS...................................................................................................... 108
4.4 'BACKSTAGE' REGIONS ....................................................................................................... 114
4.5 DEMOGRAPHICS OF PARTICIPANTS...................................................................................... 120
4.6 DRUG USE AND ILLNESS PATTERNS...................................................................................... 125
4.7 BIOGRAPHIES OF MAIN INFORMANTS................................................................................... 134
4.8 CONCLUSION....................................................................................................................... 143
CHAPTER 5: GROUP ORGANIZATION .............................................................................. 144
5.1 INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................... 145
5.2 ADDICTS AS ACOMMUNITY OF PRACTICE............................................................................ 146
5.2.7 Social learning............................................................................................................ 141
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5.2.2 Lack of traditional differentiations............................................................................. 151
5.2.3 Collective morality ....................................••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 153
5.3 RESTORING MASCULINE IDENTITIES .................................................................................... 154
5.3.1 Solidarity.................................................................................................................... 156
5.3.2 Homosociality............................................................................................................. 157
5.3.3 Local heroes............................................................................................................... 161
5.4 DISCUSSION......................................................................................................................... 162
5.5 CONCLUSION....................................................................................................................... 166
CHAPTER 6: PEER EDUCATORS' ROLES DURING OUTREACH ................................168
6.1 INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................... 170
6.2 SPECIFIC METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................... 173
6.3 OUTREACH ROLE-PLAYS...................................................................................................... 175
6.4 PARTICIPANTS'NARRATIVES OF ROLES ............................................................................... 181
6.5 DISCUSSION......................................................................................................................... 187
6.6 CONCLUSION....................................................................................................................... 192
CHAPTER 7: PRACTICE OF POETRY................................................................................. 194
7.1 INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................... 196
7.2 SPECIFIC METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................... 198
7.3 MEANINGS OF SHER-O-SHAYARI AMONG THE PARTICIPANTS...............................................200
7.3.1 'Talk' -with implicit performance rules....................................................................... 200
7.3.2 A 'unique thing' that is not 'dirty'.............................................................................. 202
7.3.3 'My heart gets happy when I speak it'........................................................................ 204
7.3.4 'Notlearned'..............................................................................................................206
7.4 EXPERIENCES OF PARTICIPATING IN SHER-O-SHAYARI.........................................................206
7.4.1 'Sitting-sitting with friends joining-joining'...............................................................208
7.4.2 'Lying-lying kept on thinking' ....................................................................................213
7.5 DISCUSSION.........................................................................................................................215
7.6 CONCLUSION.......................................................................................................................219
CHAPTER 8: STREET 'DOCTORY' ......................................................................................222
8.1 INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................................224
8.2 METHODOLOGY...................................................................................................................225
8.3 PROCEDURES.......................................................................................................................226
8.4 ILLNESS DISCUSSIONS..........................................................................................................230
8.5 HEALTH CONSULTANCY......................................................................................................236
8.6 DISCUSSION......................................................................................................................... 240
8.7 CONCLUSION.......................................................................................................................244
CHAPTER 9: DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS..............................................................246
9.1 SYNTHESIS OF PEER LEARNING PROCESSES..........................................................................247
9.1.1 Legitimate peripheral participation............................................................................ 248
9.1.2 Meaning negotiation................................................................................................... 248
9.1.3 Reflective learning...................................................................................................... 249
9.1.4 Learning through teaching......................................................................................... 250
9.2 THEORETICAL CRITIQUE......................................................................................................251
9.3 INSIGHTS INTO ETHNOGRAPHIC ACCESS...............................................................................254
9.4 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY................................................................................................ 259
9.5 SUGGESTIONS FOR PRACTICE AND FURTHER RESEARCH ...................................................... 263
REFERENCES............................................................................................................................270
APPENDIX 1: ARTICLE ON THE PRACTICE OF POETRY AS PEER LEARNING ....289
APPENDIX 2: COMPILATION OF POEMS IN ROMAN HINDI.......................................309
IX
List of Figures and Tables
FIGURE 2.1: TOPPING AND EHLY'S (2001) THEORETICAL MODEL OF PEER LEARNING...................... 19
FIGURE 2.2: PARR AND TOWNSEND'S (2002) THEORETICAL MODEL OF PEER LEARNING.................. 20
FIGURE 3.1 (LEFT): BABA (RIGHT) DRAWING A DIAGRAM FOR A.D. (LEFT) (FN 09.15.05).............. 76
FIGURE 3.2 (RIGHT): BABA'S ILLUSTRATION IN THE ETHNOGRAPHER'S NOTEBOOK DEPICTING HOW
ALCOHOL GOES INTO THE LUNGS AND CAUSES 'CANCER'(FN 09.15.05)................................ 76
FIGURE 3.3: WHAT TO 'WATCH' DURING PARTICIPANT OBSERVATIONS (EMERSON ET AL., 1995, P.
26-30).................................................................................................................................... 81
FIGURE 3.4: EVOLUTION OF CODING STRUCTURE FOR THEME OF 'BROTHERHOOD.' GRAPHIC
PRODUCED USING TAMSANALYZER (WEINSTEIN, 2004) ........................................................ 87
FIGURE 4.1: YAMUNA BAZAAR LOCATED IN THE NORTHEAST SIDE OF OLD DELHI (TTK MAPS, 2004,
PP. 24-25)............................................................................................................................. 107
FIGURE 4.2: SHARAN DROP-IN CENTRE AND ADJACENT FRONTSTAGE REGIONS.......................... 112
FIGURE 4.3: FRONTSTAGE REGION, STEPS LEADING DOWN TO THE YAMUNA RIVER FOR BATHING 113
FIGURE 4.4: POOJAPARLAKBACKSTAGE REGION........................................................................... 118
FIGURE 4.5: A MAIN ROAD IN YAMUNA BAZAAR THAT TURNED INTO A BACKSTAGE REGION AT
NIGHT................................................................................................................................... 119
TABLE 4.1: PARTICIPANTS'SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS ................................................................ 123
FIGURE 4.6: USED AMPOULES OF COMMON PHARMACEUTICAL DRUGS 'BUPRENORPHINE',
'PROMETHAZINE', 'AVIL', AND 'DIAZEPAM'......................................................................... 132
FIGURE 4.7: PREPARATION FOR A GROUP 'FIXING' SESSION IN A BACKSTAGE PARK....................... 133
TABLE 7.1: KEYWORDS IDENTIFIED IN TRANSCRIPTS OF ACCOUNTS DESCRIBING EXPERIENCES OF
PARTICIPATING IN SHER-O-SHAYARI. SELECTION OF WORDS WAS MADE NOT ONLY ON
FREQUENCY OF USE, BUT ALSO THE MANNER IN WHICH IT WAS USED IN THE GIVEN CONTEXT,
SPEAKER, AND TOPIC OF SPEECH (LEECH & ONWUEGBUZIE, 2005). .....................................212
TABLE 9.1: PEER LEARNING PROCESSES AND THE PRACTICES IN WHICH THEY WERE OBSERVED.... 247