Reconstructing Cross-Cultural Meanings of Addiction Among Women with Cultural Domain Analysis

Exploring the cultural dimensions of addiction and recovery among marginalized populations presents significant challenges due to their “hard-to-reach” status and the complexity of measuring “culture.” This paper addresses these challenges by introducing and applying cultural domain analysis, a versatile method for systematically measuring cultural concepts within marginalized groups. Specifically, we use this approach to examine cultural models of addiction. The study was conducted in London, Toronto, and Delhi among reproductive-aged women receiving treatment for substance use disorders. Participants completed a semi-structured questionnaire featuring open-ended and free-list prompts. Findings revealed culturally specific themes at each site, highlighting insights often overlooked by purely quantitative methods. The analysis also uncovered cross-site similarities, such as the role of peer networks in recovery in both India and Toronto. When applied to hybrid data, these results demonstrate how cultural domain analysis provides a structured yet adaptable framework for identifying cultural differences and shared patterns. In conclusion, working with hard-to-reach populations necessitates flexible research methods that authentically amplify participants’ voices while maintaining methodological rigor. Cultural domain analysis achieves this balance, offering a systematic approach to capturing the salience of participants’ perspectives.