Dealing with a gendered economy: Female drug dealers and street capital
| Author | Heidi Grundetjern,Sveinung Sandberg |
| Published date | 01 November 2012 |
| Date | 01 November 2012 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/1477370812453103 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
European Journal of Criminology
9(6) 621 –635
© The Author(s) 2012
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DOI: 10.1177/1477370812453103
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Dealing with a gendered
economy: Female drug dealers
and street capital
Heidi Grundetjern and Sveinung Sandberg
University of Oslo, Norway
Abstract
Early studies of female drug dealers suggest that women are marginalized, passive victims. In
contrast, more recent studies describe women as skilful and competent dealers. In a Bourdieu-
inspired theoretical framework of ‘street capital’, we suggest that the truth is somewhere in
between. Female dealers can be successful, but they face more obstacles than men do. The illegal
hard-drug economy is gendered and favours men. In this paper we discuss how female drug
dealers develop particular strategies to prove they still belong in ‘the game’. Four such strategies
are emphasized: desexualization, violent posture, emotional detachment and service-mindedness.
These are common strategies for all drug dealers, but the gendered economy forces female
dealers to be particularly careful about their business and self-presentation.
Keywords
Drug dealing, gender, illegal drugs, street capital
Introduction
When you’re a woman, they charge you double price – right? ’Cause they know they can do
this, since we do not have that same frightening physical appearance. Of course, I can hire a
couple of torpedoes to counterbalance this, but those torpedoes also would charge me double
price because I’m a woman, so then I’m back at square one again. (Female dealer, 35)
This article examines the role of female drug dealers. An understanding of women as
subordinate to men was dominant in the field early on. They were portrayed as victim-
ized and positioned at the periphery of the drug economy, lacking the qualities needed for
Corresponding author:
Heidi Grundetjern, Department of Sociology and Human Geography, University of Oslo, Box 1096
Blindern, Oslo, N-0317, Norway.
Email: heidi.grundetjern@sosgeo.uio.no
453103EUC9610.1177/1477370812453103European Journal of CriminologyGrundetjern and Sandberg
2012
Article
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