Community differences in conceptions of deviant behavior: an exploratory study of attitudes toward alcohol-related help sources.

This exploratory study examined the conceptions shared by members of geographically and socioeconomically defined communities toward help sources for alcohol problems. The larger hypothesis was that the social-psychological factors underlying the initial identification of deviance affects expectancies of and reactions to treatment facilities. Low socioeconomic status (SES) respondents were aware of fewer help sources or acquisition strategies than higher SES communities, and were more oriented toward community-based nonprofessional help sources. Low SES attitudes toward help sources were also less complex, and showed a substantial pattern of disfranchisement from traditional help sources. In contrast, higher SES respondents had a more comprehensive and positive conception of help sources, particularly higher status professional agencies, and felt familiar local help sources to be stigmatizing. Attitude factors found to be salient to these differences were respondents' familiarity and expected social embarrassment, and the extent to which a help source dealt with serious problems and exerted control over clients.