Socio-cultural and gender issues in substance abuse in Kenya
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Date
2003-09
Authors
Njoroge, Martin
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Abstract
In the global scene, today substance abuse is said to contribute to many social problems, including the break-up of
family structures, decreased productivity, injuries and automobile accidents. Criminal activity is often the result of
/ substance abuse or the desire of money to purchase drugs. There are many factors that lead members of a specific
society to abuse drugs. These could be religious, curative, cultural, social or recreational. However, some questions
do arise: are there any gender disparities in substance abuse? Are there socio-cultural factors that, for example,
push a man to substance abuse and leave out a woman or vice versa? What socio-cultural and gender issues do
children, adults and the elderly face that predispose them to substance abuse in Kenya? What does the current
literature on substance abuse say as regards gender disparity in thefield?
In this paper, we purpose to address the problem of substance abuse in Kenya and discuss how socio-cultural and
gender disparities interplay in pushing both male andfemale members of society into substance abuse den. There is
also a review of literature on gender and substance abuse specifically highlighting any disparities in how society
generally view men and women who abuse drugs. In our discussion, the term social denotes all that relates to human
society while culture summates the total range of the inherited ideas, beliefs and knowledge which constitutes the
shared basis of social action. In discussing gender issues, we take account of special pre-dispositions or strengths
that come about because of being male or female.
Description
Fourth international conference proceeedings of the association of third world studies, inc. Kenya chapter
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Citation
Disparities in Social Sciences, Politics and Gender, Vol. 1