”Missbruk är ett missbruk oavsett var man kommer ifrån.” : En kvalitativ intervjustudie om klass och missbruk

”Addiction is addiction no matter where you’re from” – A qualitative interview study about class and substance abuse The aim of this study was to examine social workers’ perception of class and its relevance within the work of substance abuse care in the Swedish social services and the relationship between social worker and client. Furthermore, the study also examined the social workers’ perspective on their clients’ perception of class and its relevance in their contact with the social services. The sample population of the study was Swedish social workers’ that handles substance abuse for the social services. Through seven semi-structured interviews we studied the social workers perception of class and its perceived relevance for the clients they have been working with. Class was defined and analyzed through Bourdieu’s class theory. The interviews were also analyzed with theories of stigma and shame. The results showed that class is relevant when it comes to shame and stigma within perceived higher classes. There was also an idea among the social workers that clients with a perceived higher class were more likely to put demands on what help they should be receiving. The social workers also showed an aversion toward using the word ‘class’ and chose to use other words to express themselves. In addition, class also had an effect when it came to clients’ different levels of need for aid and assistance. The conclusion of the study was that class is relevant within the work of substance abuse care in Swedish social services.