Pedras na mira : reflexões históricas sobre o proibicionismo e os estigmas atribuídos aos dependentes químicos em Caxias do Sul (1992 - 2002)

Abstract

This research analyzes how discourses on crack cocaine use, conveyed through the local print media, contributed to the construction and reinforcement of stigma and the marginalization of people with substance dependence in the city of Caxias do Sul between 1992 and 2002. Based on the historical trajectory of drug prohibitionism, the study seeks to understand how journalistic narratives produced and consolidated social representations of crack users, while also reflecting on possibilities for the development of historical consciousness that recognize these individuals as historical subjects beyond socially constructed stigmas. The research is grounded in the concepts of stigma, prohibitionism, and outsiders, articulated with the perspective of the History of the Present Time and Jörn Rüsen's theory of historical consciousness. The dissertation itself constitutes the pedagogical proposal. The methodological approach consists of Content Analysis applied to articles published by the newspaper Pioneiro between 1992 and 2002 concerning crack cocaine use, aiming to identify categories, recurring patterns, and meanings embedded in journalistic narratives. The findings indicate that the local press played a significant role in producing and reinforcing discourses marked by criminalization, dangerousness, and the marginalization of crack users, contributing to the consolidation of stigmas that continue to resonate socially. It is concluded that the historical understanding of these discourses may foster the development of historical consciousness, encouraging critical reflections on prohibitionism and on the historical construction of stigmas attributed to people with substance dependence, recognizing them as historical subjects. [resumo fornecido pelo autor]