Unbounded? Gender and body in a recreational drug culture

Abstract

This dissertation explores how a sample of young adults in Dublin experience issues of gendered embodiment in their recreational engagement with the drug ecstasy (MDMA). The study applies a gender studies theoretical framework to analyse potential for change in the experience of gender, and compares how women and men experience a drug culture. Key themes that hinge on the corporeal body are developed throughout the study. Findings are examined in the context of discourse on gender and the body, including a focus on health, sexuality, interpersonal relationships, risk and ethics.