O sentido antropológico de dons e dádivas entre grupos de usuários de crack e outras drogas.

Abstract

Crack users’ are generally marginalized and pointed as worthless, with tendency to be deleted of socializing, fact that makes this population create groups to consume the drug, creating the popular cracolandia. The study aimed to know the anthropological sense of gifts and boons between groups of crack and other drugs’ users inside the scenes of use. It consists in a qualitative study with ethnography approach which used as theoretical referential the theory of gifts and boons of the sociologist Marcel Mauss. It was developed at the city of Pelotas, in the period of December of 2012 to July of 2013, having as method of data collection the participant observation, dialog and record in a journal of field. The observations were performed in groups of crack and other drugs’ users created in public and private places at the city. The participants of the study were people who made the use of crack and other drugs in the scenery of drugs use; being closer to 13 people during the study. The analysis of data presents itself based in the Clifford Geertz’s interpretativism. This ethnography unveiled that users of crack and other drugs created in public and private places have different ways of live, of adaptation and organize themselves as a group. The scenes of use created by this population are not configured only as a unique and exclusive place to consume drugs; it is also a shelter and a place to meet people. The users who are inserted in these groups show to be contrary to the sold images in the big vehicles of communication, having between them a network of solidarity which results in a collective work, once it is a trial to alleviate the hardships found at the streets. Some of them call themselves free and nomads, with no link to groups. However, in different ways, they are always close, valuing health and relations of help and solidarity. Crack users, when there is lack or scarcity, divide and share drug, clothes or food, with no certain of goodness’ return. In this way, it is believed that the theory of gift permeates immensely the actual relations; at the moment they are in the group, they show solidarity in some situations, fight for win the stigma and prejudice, divide and donate the stone, when necessary, with the certain of return, organize themselves and seek help in the health care of the weaker ones. However, changes just will begin to appear in the context of these people, at the moment when the politics of attention and assistance that involves this population pass to be priority of our managers.