Through the Looking-Glass: The use of psychoactive plants in Catalonia

Identifier:  TDX:3413

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/TDX3413

Authors:  Kohek, Maja

Abstract:
Through the Looking-Glass: The use of psychoactive plants in Catalonia The thesis consists of six chapters related to the use of psychoactive plants in a community in Catalonia. The first chapter is introducing the community, the places where fieldwork has been conducted, and the key informants. The second chapter is presenting the aims of the study, the methodologies used for data collection and data analysis, discussing anthropological research methods, as well as explaining how the study came to the existence. The third chapter dives into the phenomenon of medicalisation in contemporary western society and its relations to drug use research and the discourse on drug policy. The fourth chapter discusses the worldview of the studied community, their way of life, gender roles, childrearing, and healthcare practices. The fifth chapter is the most extensive and discusses the use of psychoactive plants in the studied community. It touches on the issues of commercialisation and globalisation of psychoactive plants in contemporary society, argues for the differentiation of the community from other neoshamanic and New Age groups, and discusses the community in the context of communitas. Furthermore, a comparison between spiritual and habitual use is being made, and several rituals are presented that use cannabis (Santa María) as a sacrament. The effects of the rituals are discussed from the point of view of inhabitants and the researcher. The sixth chapter is the concluding chapter and discusses the observations and results of the study from the point of view of drug policy and offers considerations for designing future public policies.