Evans Mulvihill, G. (2024) The Potentialities of Graphic Novels in Humanizing Substance Use Disorder and their Implications for Public Policies in Canada. 2024 Education Graduate Students’ Research Conference. Winnipeg– Canada.
Evans Mulvihill, G.; de Oliveira Jayme, B. (2024). The Potentialities of Graphic Novels in Humanizing Substance Use Disorder and their Implications for Public Policies in Canada. Canadian Society for the Studies of Education. Montreal – Canada. (Poster presentation).
(2023). $2,500.00. Centre for Human Rights Research (CHRR). Project: The Potentialities of Graphic Novels to Humanize Substance Use Disorder and their Implications for Increasing Public Awareness in Canada
Current Arts-Based Research:
University of Manitoba, Faculty of Graduate Studies; Education (CLT)
Humanizing substance use disorders through the art of a graphic novel
Substance use disorder (SUD) is a misunderstood illness stigmatized by outdated punitive public policies historically affected by marginalization, racism, and economics instead of humanistic and trauma-informed principles. As opioid-related overdoses increase across Canada, the general public’s perceptions and relationships with people who use drugs (PUD) remain visceral and dehumanizing. Countries such as Portugal, have made groundbreaking reforms in humanizing SUD, by applying principle-informed harm reduction models aimed at reducing harmful societal beliefs. Time and money are divisive and important barriers to addressing the biases and misconceptions about PUD. The arts are a promising and potentially effective, inexpensive, and welcoming way to reorientate societal misconceptions of SUD and influence inclusive public drug policies while providing PUD a much-needed opportunity to share their story. Portugal’s harm reduction models inspire my qualitative study. It intertwines Transformative Adult Education Arts-based Research with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: How can art informed by PUD dispel public biases and enable the development of harm reduction policies that prioritize the needs of PUD? My objective through the use of a graphic novel to engage otherwise reluctant learners is to depict problems that PUD encounter which perpetuates a cycle of use and continue to isolate, discourage, and shame.
Observation
Fear campaigns are shown to be ineffective when dissuading drug use, they demonize drug users, and drive our fear-based responses to dehumanize those with SUD. People labeled with a SUD are misunderstood and marginalized making access to their basic human needs difficult. Not only does a toxic drug supply threaten their safety, PUD are at higher risk for concurrent mental health issues, diseases such as HIV and HepC spread by unhygienic paraphernalia, death by suicide or overdose, increased participation with petty and violent crime, and abuse. Is there any other illness out there that is so deprived of compassion and compounded with lack of safe treatment options? PUD are also more susceptible to becoming homeless, unemployed and increased loneliness because of exclusion from social experiences such as family, peer groups, places of spirituality, education and medical care. Consequently, their stories remain elusive and society struggles to empathize unless taught differently.
Conversation
“Very great change starts from very small conversations, held among people who care.” (M. Mead)
In this divisive time, it is important to identify gaps that exist within communities. However it often involves addressing tough issues and coming to terms with biases entwined within power structures that encumber multiple tensions.
Who feels comfortable walking into situations that invoke fear? Who runs towards situations that look dangerous? The way we have been taught to think about issues has left vulnerable populations stigmatized and isolated, judged and up against punitive systems. We need to understand why it is this way and what our roles are by adjusting public perception about drug use, addiction disorders, homelessness, and the constant struggle to attain basic human needs before we try tossing bandaide solutions onto the multiple public health and safety crises that communities are currently battling.
ART
Art has a long history of being the starting point to studying and educating others about social justice issues. It allows onlookers to observe, wonder, question, become critically aware of another way to look at a situation that we would otherwise ignore or avoid because of the discomfort it may potentially rattle within us. The art experience may be subtle or loud, yet each engagement seeps in to stir a response. One may hate, love, or cry over an image, but regardless of the response, it will generate an emotion. Now we can start to talk.
My art is an example of observing PAIN. It is a visceral reaction traveling through my eyes to flow through my body, passing through the brain, sitting in the heart, and extending itself through my medium. It is honest. I hold nothing back as I keep reaching deeper within to open my eyes wide bearing witness to highs, lows, dirt, the stench of unwashed, the burn of heat and cruel words and spit, the relationships and the ongoing love found in most unexpected shadows. I have gone where most run from. We have been taught these are the places and the people where danger lives. My experience shows otherwise and I wish you could see it too.
