Articles

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Drug Use Trajectory Patterns among Older Drug Users (with Thor Whalen, Benjamin Tyndall, and Ellen Ballard), Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation (2011)

To better understand patterns of drug use trajectories over time, it is essential to have...

 

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Addiction Discourse and Sociality: Perspectives from Methamphetamine Users in Suburban USA (with Paul Boshears and Liam Harbry), Addiction Research & Theory (2011)

This article contributes to a growing body of literature that emphasizes the social nature of...

 

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Social Recovery, Social Capital, and Drug Courts (with Aukje K. Lamonica and Liam Harbry), Practicing Anthropology (2011)

The Social Recovery Initiative (SRI) is an innovative initiative based on social capital theoretical concepts....

 

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Creativity and Cults from Sociological and Communication Perspectives: The Processes Involved in the Birth of a Secret Creative Self (with Karen Pressley), Cultic Studies Review (2010)

We employ three interrelated concepts drawn from sociology and communication theories to explore the processes...

 

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Cold Cook Methods: An Ethnographic Exploration on the Myths of Methamphetamine Production and Policy Implications (with David Gibson and Laim Harbry), International Journal of Drug Policy (2009)

Background

Urban legends and myths are prevalent in drug-use environments. However, the distinction between myth...

 

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A Qualitative Exploration of Trajectories Among Suburban Users of Methamphetamine (with Liam Harbry and David Gibson), Journal of Ethnographic & Qualitative Research (2009)

The goal of this exploratory study was to gain a better understanding of methamphetamine use...

 

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Intergenerational Memories of Life in a Cult: A Life Course Analysis (with Natascia R. Boeri), Journal of Ethnographic & Qualitative Research (2009)

A dearth of literature exists about the effects of former cult involvement on family relationships....

 

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Polydrug Use among Ecstasy Users: Separate, Synergistic and Indiscriminate Patterns (with Claire E. Sterk, Masuma Bahora, and Kirk Elifson), Journal of Drug Issues (2008)

The qualitative analyses of data obtained from the interviews identified three distinct types of polydrug...

 

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"Not Without My Sister: The True Story of Three Girls Violated and Betrayed" and "Jesus Freaks: A True Story of Murder and Madness on the Evangelical Edge" (book review), Cultic Studies Review (2008)

Reviews Not Without My Sister: The True Story of Three Girls Violated and Betrayed, by...

 

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Reconceptualizing Early and Late Onset: A Life Course Analysis of Older Heroin Users (with Claire E. Sterk and Kirk W. Elifson), The Gerontologist (2008)

Purpose: Researchers’ knowledge regarding older users of illicit drugs is limited despite the increasing numbers...

 

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Exposing the "Pretty Woman" Myth: A Qualitative Investigation of Street-Level Prostituted Women (book review), Journal of Marriage and Family (2007)

Review of the book Exposing the "Pretty Woman" Myth, by Rochelle L. Dalla. Published by...

 

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Baby Boomer Drug Users: Career Phases, Social Control, and Social Learning Theory (with Claire E. Sterk and Kirk W. Elifson), Sociological Inquiry (2006)

Social control and self-control theories have influenced social research and public policy regarding drug use...

 

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Rolling Beyond Raves: Ecstasy Use Outside the Rave Setting (with Claire E. Sterk and Kirk W. Elifson), Journal of Drug Issues (2004)

In this paper, we explore settings of ecstasy use other than those that are part...

 

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'Hell I’m an Addict, but I Ain’t No Junkie:' An Ethnographic Analysis of Aging Heroin Users, Human Organization (2004)

Although the number of drug users over the age of 35 is growing at a...

 

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Women After the Utopia: The Gendered Lives of Former Cult Members, Journal of Contemporary Ethnography (2002)

Research on former members of cults, also known as new religious movements, often focuses on...

 
The Effects of Education on Retirement: A Continuity Perspective (with Dawn Baunach), The Southwest Journal on Aging (2001)
 

Books

An Ethnographic Study of Women Who Use Methamphetamine, Rutgers University Press (under contract) (2010)
 
Heaven's Harlots: My Fifteen Years As a Sacred Prostitute in the Children of God Cult (1998)

For over 15 years, the elusive Children of God cult leader, Moses David, commanded a...

 

Contributions to Books

Deviance and Social Control, Teaching and Learning About Deviance: A Resource Guide (2008)
 
Research Methods Addendum, Peoplization: An Introduction to Social Life (2008)
 
The Children of God/The Family, Sex and Religion (2004)
 

External Grants

Methamphetamine Use in the Suburbs: An Exploratory Study (2010)

2010-2011

Award Number: 1R15DA021164-01A1

Principal Investigator: Boeri

Award: $201,000

National Institutes of Health, National Institute...

 
Older Drug Users: A Life Course Study of Turning Points in Drug Use and Injection (2009)

2009-2011

Award Number: 1R21DA025298-01A1

Principal Investigator: Boeri

Award: $367,820

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

National...

 
Methamphetamine Use in the Suburbs: An Exploratory Study (2007)

2007-2009

Award Number: 1R15DA021164-01A1

Principal Investigator: Boeri

Award: $180,900

National Institutes of Health, National Institute...

 

Unpublished Papers

Bonding and Bridging Relationships: A Case Study of Older Female Drug Users (with Aukje Kluge, Claire Sterk, and Kirk Elifson), Qualitative Health Research (2010)
 

Presentations

Risk Reduction and the Atlanta Harm Reduction Center. Presider/Spotlight Panel, American Sociological Association (2010)

The Atlanta Harm Reduction Center, Inc. is a community-based prevention and wellness organization committed to...

 
'Stuck in the Bluff:' Obscured Turning Points in Drug User Life Histories. Paper/Presentation (with David Gibson, Craig Rafuse, and Ben Tyndall), Society for the Study of Social Problems (2010)
 
Hegemonic Communication Model: The Power Dynamics in the Emergence of a Secret Creative Self. Paper/Presentation (with Karen Pressley), International Cultic Studies Association (2010)

In this paper, the authors explore the process of personal renaissance through the emergence of...

 
A Contextual Analysis of Risk Behaviors Among Older Adult Drug Users and Harm Reduction In Suburban Versus Inner-City Social Environments. Paper/Presentation, International Harm Reducation Association Conference (2010)

Recent epidemiological data show that adults who are 45 and older comprise the fastest growing...

 
Collaborative Research on Harm Reduction: Sociological Insights, Life Course Theory and Mathematical Modeling Techniques Used to Inform Future Research. Paper/Presentation (with Thor Whalen), International Harm Reduction Association Conference (2010)

Collaborative efforts between researchers from different fields of study are needed to better understand the...

 
To Tell the Truth: How to Get the Most Valid Data From Hard-to-Reach Populations. Coordinator/Panel (with David Gibson, Craig Rafuse, and Ben Tyndall), Suburban Conference (2010)
 
Incorporating Ethics into Sequenced Research Courses for Undergraduates. Paper/Presentation (with Darina Lepadatu, Ellen Ballard, and Robin Crawford), Eastern Sociological Society (2010)
 
Methamphetamine in the Suburbs and the Socialization Program in Drug Courts. Presentation, 2009 Seminar on Illicit Drugs and Their Impact On The Community (2009)
 
Bringing Social Capital Theory to Drug Courts: From Theory to Practice. Paper/Presentation (with Liam Harbry), Society for Applied Anthropology (2009)

Social capital theory helps explain the unequal distribution of social resources. The "socialization program," is...

 
Through the Looking Glass: Social Routes of Recovery from Drug Abuse. Paper/Presentation (with David Paul Gibson Jr.), Society for Applied Anthropology (2009)

Drug abuse is often viewed as an individual problem, but the social connections that drug...

 
Intergenerational Memories of Life in a Cult: A Life Course Analysis. Poster (with Natascia Rose Boeri), Ethnographic and Qualitative Research Conference (2008)

A dearth of literature exists about the effects of former cult involvement on family relationships....

 
A Qualitative Exploration of Trajectories Among Suburban Users of Methamphetamine. Paper/Presentation (with Liam Harbry and David Gibson), Ethnographic & Qualitative Research Conference (2008)

The goal of this exploratory study was to gain a better understanding of methamphetamine use...

 
"It's Functional in the Beginning": Methamphetamine Use Trajectories in Sububan Settings. Paper/Presentation, Society for Applied Anthropology (2008)

Methamphetamine users living in the suburbs are a hidden population of hard-to-reach individuals, and we...

 
Cigarette Smokers and Harm Reduction. Paper/Presentation (with Kirk W. Elifson and Claire E. Sterk), Southern Sociological Society (2007)
 
Older Female Drug Users: An Exploration of Drug Use Patterns Guided by Set and Setting. Paper/Presentation (with Aukje Kluge, Kirk E. Elifson, and Claire E. Sterk), Society for Applied Anthropology (2007)

Older drug users, thirty-five and older, have received relatively little attention by researchers, service providers,...

 
Making the Transition to Learner-Centered Teaching: Some Practical Perspectives. Panel (with Dorothy Marsil, Wes Riddle, Susan Kirkpatrick Smith, and Linda Nobel), Georgia Conference on College & University Teaching (2007)
 
Teaching Undergraduates NVivo Qualitative Data Management Computer Program. Poster (with Cynthia Kemp and Monica Hoffman), Georgia Conference on College & University Teaching (2007)
 
Prostitution, Parenting, and Pedophilia: An Exploratory Study of Women’s Accounts of Life in a Sex Cult. Paper/Presentation, Association for the Sociology of Religion (2006)

Using accounts from in-depth interviews with women who lived in the Children of God/The Family,...

 
Methamphetamine Use and Changing Worlds: A Life Course Perspective. Paper/Presentation (with Claire E. Sterk and Kirk W. Elifson), Society for Applied Anthropology (2006)

Live course perspectives lead us to focus on how human lives are embedded in social...

 
Clinical Sociology and Sociological Practice. Paper/Presentation, Georgia Sociological Association (2006)
 
Practicing Sociology: A Dialogue. Panel, Georgia Sociological Association (2006)
 
Sex, Religion, and Children: Exploring the Effects of Childrearing in a Sixties-Style Social Experiment. Paper/Presentation (with Natascia Rose Boeri and Atlanta Boeri Jaramillo), Southern Sociological Society (2006)

The authors of this paper are a mother & two daughters who lived in a...

 
Undergraduate Research. Paper/Presentation, Georgia Sociological Association (2006)
 
XTC and Other Drugs: Poly Use Patterns. Paper/Presentation (with Kirk W. Elifson, Claire E. Sterk, and Kat Theall), Society for Applied Anthropology (2005)

We describe current ecstasy use patterns among a sample of young adults and distinguish between...

 
Aging Baby Boomers and Their Drug Use: Late-Onset Users. Paper/Presentation (with Claire E. Sterk and Kirk W. Elifson), Society for Applied Anthropology (2005)

Some individuals who used drugs as adolescents are continuing or returning to illegal drug use....

 
Question Reality. Paper/Presentation, American Family Foundation Conference (2004)
 
Becoming Promiscuous: Examining the Social Reconstruction of Identity in a New Religious Movement. Paper/Presentation, Association for the Sociology of Religion (2003)

According to social construction theory, during primary socialization human beings learn to accept a legitimate...

 
Maturing In (or Into) Drug Use: A Life Course Analysis of Aging Drug Users. Paper/Presentation (with Claire Sterk and Kirk Elifson), American Sociological Association (2003)

Instead of “maturing out” of drug use, many drug users who were young adults or...

 
Sociological Practice and Cult Research. Roundtable, Sociological Practice Association (2003)
 
Rolling: The Changing Scenes and Patterns of Ecstasy Use. Paper/Presentation (with Claire E. Sterk, Kirk W. Elifson, and Zaid I. Graham), Society for Applied Anthropology (2003)
 
Boomers Using Hard Drugs: A Life Course Perspective. Paper/Presentation (with Claire E. Sterk and Kirk Elifson), Society for the Study of Social Problems (2003)
 
Recent Rave Research and Health Implications: An Ethnographic Exploration of Raves, Heavy Users of Ecstasy, and Health-Related Issues. Paper/Presentation (with Claire E. Sterk, Zaid Graham, Kirk Elifson, and Johanna Boers), Society for the Study of Social Problems (2003)
 
The Ecstasy Culture: New Ethnographic Findings on the Sex and Ecstasy Link. Paper/Presentation (with Claire E. Sterk and Kirk Elifson), Society for the Study of Social Problems (2003)
 
Hell, I’m an Addict, But I Ain’t No Junkie: An Ethnographic Analysis of the Heroin Career. Paper/Presentation (with Kirk Elifson and Claire E. Sterk), American Sociological Association (2002)

This study applies sociological theories to ethnographic fieldnotes, survey data, and life histories of current...

 
Sex with Children: The Last Sexual Frontier. Paper/Presentation, Georgia Sociological Association (2002)
 
Dreams and Despair: Methamphetamine Use and Drug Treatment Challenges. Paper/Presentation (with Kirk W. Elifson, Claire E. Sterk, and Rachel E. Kachur), American Public Health Association (2001)

Objectives:This study examines experiences with and perceptions of drug treatment programs among active methamphetamine users.

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Cohort Retirment Trends and Determinants. Paper/Presentation, Southern Gerontological Society (2000)
 
Heaven's Harlots: A Religious Cult from a Woman's Perspective. Roundtable, The Sociological Practice Association (1999)
 
Women of the Utopia: Women in Cults. Paper/Presentation, Southern Sociological Society (1999)
 

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Addiction and Sociality: Perspectives from Methamphetamine Users in Suburban USA (with Paul Boshears and Liam Harbry), Faculty Publications (2011)

This article contributes to a growing body of literature that emphasizes the social nature of...

 

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Suburban Poverty: Barriers to Services and Injury Prevention among Marginalized Women who Use Methamphetamine (with Benjamin Tyndall and Denise R. Woodall), Faculty Publications (2011)

Objective: This paper aims to identify the needed healthcare and social services barriers for women...