Anabola Androgena Steroider & Identiteter

Sammanfattning

There is little knowledge about abuse of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) in Sweden. This

paper aims to explore, from a discourse psychological angle, how persons with experience of

anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) construct there identities.

The theory and method used as a frame for the paper is discursive psychology, depending on the

focus in the paper of human beings use of language in the construction of identities. For

collection of data interviews were made. The six respondents al had experience of use of AAS.

The interviews illustrated how users of AAS speak about AAS, and create there identity, in

relation to AAS. In the interpretation of data we used two different tools, used by discursive

psychologists, interpretative repertoires and subject positions. Though the interpretative

repertoires we were able to separate the ways the respondents construct there statements. Subject

positions made it possible for us to interpret where the respondents did place themselves in there

speech. Other perspectives, derived from literature on the subject AAS, was brought into the

analysis. Other perspectives provide us with assumptions and make it possible to separate themes

and discourses from the data.

Two discourses where separated from data, restrictive discourse and legal discourse. The

discourses contain three teams, use/abuse, physical risks and social risks. In the speech,

respondents, relate to these teams in order to construct there identities. The respondents construct

the speech in order to make use of AAS reasonable to them selves. The respondents construct the

speech in the direction towards a liberal discourse. They construct the use of AAS as reasonable

to them selves. The respondents make mostly difference between use and abuse of AAS and

don’t position them selves as abusers of AAS without reservations. A crucial component in the

construction of an identity as a user is the reduction of risks. The respondents reduce the risks

with AAS in different ways and make an identity as a user possible.

Key Words: Discourse, Discursive Psychology, AAS, Anabolic Androgenic Steroids, Identity.