Emancipation theory argues that as women become liberated from the constraints of traditional gender roles and the confines of the domestic realm, they become more like males in both their legal and illegal behavior patterns. More direct indicators of emancipation are the economic opportunities within the crack culture and the nature of criminality as a source of income generation among female crack addicts. The crack culture is structured in a manner that results in sex exchanges being much more prevalent than in other drug cultures. The study was based on detailed life history interviews conducted with 23 crack addicts that participated in crack cultures in small southern towns. The data indicate that male and female crack addicts were likely to experience some form of abuse or neglect during their childhood. Female respondents were extremely likely to report incidents of childhood sexual abuse. The results indicate that women were much more likely to be introduced to drugs by male intimates or male relatives, while male respondents were more likely to be introduced to drug use with their relationships with male friends. Income generation strategies were influenced by the gender, race, and social class status of the respondent. Dealing crack was a readily available income generation strategy for Black males. There was a link between social class and forced reliance on sex-for-crack exchanges. Most female respondents reported relying on traditional gender strategies to generate income, mainly sex-for-crack exchanges or minor crimes such as theft. Men were much more likely to report relying on the sexual labor of women to generate income. The findings suggest that the proposed link between inner city violence and violence within crack cultures is more tenuous than previously thought. However, the finding do suggest that some women are more likely to be subjected to violence within crack cultures than are others. 38 references