09.11.2026

Drugged Sociology in the Semi-periphery: A Seminar on a Special Issue of the Polish Sociological Review (PSR)

Research on psychoactive substances rarely takes center stage in the sociology of Central and Eastern Europe. The latest special issue of the Polish Sociological Review, accompanied by a seminar, aims to change this by using drug policy as a lens to examine power relations, social control, and resistance. It explores how people who use drugs navigate their everyday lives between pleasure and bodily autonomy on one hand, and criminalization and state neglect on the other. Where does the model of abstinence—a vision of a “drug-free world”—originate, and how is it manifested in the practices of various institutions such as policymakers, healthcare systems, the police, and the media? Furthermore, how does drug use intersect with gender and the specific social landscape of a semi-peripheral region?

We invite you to join an online discussion focused on our special issue, scheduled for November 9th at 5:00 PM. The session will be moderated by Justyna Struzik and Michał Wanke, alongside Zuzanna Sadowska and Jakub Czerw from the Critical Drug Studies Group. Contributions will be presented by the authors Katarzyna Kowalczyk, Natalia Martini, and Michał Bujalski. This event is organized by the Kraków and Opole branches of the Polish Sociological Association, the Institute of Sociology at Jagiellonian University, the Department of Cultures and Societies at the University of Opole, and the Undisciplined Anthropology Research Group (ZAND). Please register for the event at: https://badania.uni.opole.pl/index.php/339355.

Useful links:

The latest special issue of the Polish Sociological Review – https://polish-sociological-review.eu/Issue-3-2026,17650
Registration for the meeting – https://badania.uni.opole.pl/index.php/339355