Nimmagadda J
School of Social Work, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118-5672, USA.
Subst Use Misuse. 1999 Jan;34(2):251-67. doi: 10.3109/10826089909035645.
The literature on alcoholism is replete with various cultural interpretations of alcohol use and alcoholism. However, many of those interpretations have not considered the meanings associated with drinking alcohol, a perspective that goes beyond simply examining the causes of alcoholism. The present study focused on the social construction of the meanings associated with use of alcohol and alcoholism from an Indian perspective. Using qualitative methods, the researcher collected ideas on the meanings of alcohol use from eight alcohol-dependent clients of a South India alcoholism treatment center who participated in focus groups and in-depth interviews. An important aspect of this research was that the researcher considered the alcohol-dependent participants as the "experts" who validated their point of view. Several themes emerged: Alcohol use is a symbol of economic status, caste, a person's karma, a period of turmoil, and gender privilege. It is important that social workers and other intervention agents understand the meanings of alcohol use for each alcohol-dependent client so that they may plan creative and individualized interventions.
关于酗酒的文献充斥着对饮酒行为和酗酒的各种文化解读。然而，其中许多解读并未考虑与饮酒相关的意义，这种观点不仅仅局限于简单地探究酗酒的成因。本研究从印度视角聚焦于饮酒及酗酒相关意义的社会建构。研究者运用定性方法，从印度南部一家酗酒治疗中心的八名酒精依赖患者那里收集了关于饮酒意义的看法，这些患者参与了焦点小组讨论和深度访谈。这项研究的一个重要方面是，研究者将酒精依赖参与者视为验证自身观点的“专家”。研究浮现出了几个主题：饮酒是经济地位、种姓、一个人的业力、动荡时期以及性别特权的象征。社会工作者和其他干预人员理解每个酒精依赖患者饮酒的意义非常重要，这样他们才能规划出有创造性且个性化的干预措施。
