Article: “We Weren’t Like No Regular Dope Fiends”: Negotiating Hustler and Crackhead Identities. Social Problems, May 2008
Summary: What marks the difference between a “hustler,” the street-wise entrepreneur kings of the underworld, and the “crackhead,” the universally-reviled junkies blamed for an astonishing plethora of social ills? For those involved in the crack cocaine economy, it’s a question of central importance. To find out how these boundaries are created and maintained, Copes, Hochstetler, and Williams interviewed men convicted of violent street crimes to “explore how they distance themselves from those exhibiting distasteful symptoms of crack addiction.” They find that those attempting to be “hustlers” put great effort into constructing an identity that separates them in every way from the lesser crackheads. The findings contribute to an understanding of how offenders shape conceptions of themselves and others, as well as everyday street interactions.
