Non-hierarchical experimentation: The outpatient treatment of drug-using young people in Finland, 1969–75

Abstract

The chapter analyses the development of expertise in treating young drug users in the metropolitan area of Finland between 1969 and 1975. The focus is on the role of psy-sciences in new forms of outpatient care, which were situated on the border between social work and medicine. The main argument is that the psy-sciences exerted a major influence on drug treatment, but not directly. Instead, it was embedded in practices that stemmed from various sources, such as folk healing, the Mental Research Institute in the United States and therapeutic communities. The chapter introduces two significant facilities, Arkadian klinikka and Nuorisoasema, set up in 1969 and 1970. The chapter builds on oral history sources, supported by archival data, research reports and published sources. Overall, the chapter demonstrates processes of professionalisation and discusses expertise based on actions.