Crime, Drugs and Social Theory: A Phenomenological Approach

This is a fine book, which demonstrably contests the main theses of the key players in the “drugs debate . The dominant policy and academic theses, whilst different, are both, according to the author, misplaced, as they fail to appreciate the habitus of the user themselves. In particular, the author’s critique of the academic community research into this area as being located within the discipline rather than the everyday lives of the users themselves is powerful.’ Dave Cowan, University of Bristol, UK ’This is a very important and extremely well constructed study. Chris Allen utilises a thorough investigation of the field and in-depth interviews with some of the UK’s most vulnerable citizens to identify the complex and nuanced factors influencing drug use and crime in the UK.