Alcohol Consumption and Social Correlates: Micro Case Analysis

 

Introduction

 

The use of alcohol has mixed reviews(  Sullivan, 1997)  It is a legal psychoactive drug that any adult can purchase without a prescription. About 5% of the population are considered heavy drinkers (Sullivan:359.) Thus, there are many in the country who do not abuse alcohol, nor is it a problem for them.

 

On the other hand, accidents, crime, family , work , and  health problems are linked, but not directly causal to alcohol.(Sullivan:358.)

 

Review of the Literature

 

There is extensive data as well as anecdotal information relative to alcohol consumption. Selected references are listed at the end of this article.

 

Methodology

 

Data was gathered by the census bureau and was operationalized by micro case data. The sample was (as best represented by the census bureau) of the entire adult population of the United States. Alcohol consumption was defined  as at least 1 drink or more per day for the individual consumer. This activity was then correlated with the following census terms: PLAYBOY(household had subscription to soft pornographic print magazine) MALE HOMES (single or unattached males sharing household) COUPLES(two individuals with or without progeny who  cohabit) MARRIAGE (two heterosexuals with legal ties, with or without children) DIVORCE(individuals previously married.)

 

Correlational analysis and significance testing was utilized.

 

Hypothesis

 

There is a significant relationship between alcohol consumption and the consumption of soft pornography/ being male/cohabiting/marriage/divorce.

 

Findings

 

 

                      Playboy          Male Homes   Couples   Marriage     Divorce

Alcohol         0.622*           0 .744*           -0.359*     0.560*      0.445*

 

* means significant at the .01 level   

 

 

 

 

 

Interpretation

 

It would appear that there is a positive relationship between alcohol and the subscription to PLAYBOY, male homes, marriage, and divorce. However, there is a negative correlation between alcohol and couples. Alcohol, stereotypically**, is strongly related to soft pornography and males. It is mildly correlated to marriage and divorce.  However, there appears not to be related to couples or cohabiting couples. This finding may be spurious or invalid. However, more  research in terms of data analysis and multicollenearity may suggest this finding not to be salient. Further, the operationalization of alcohol must be improved and more focused. A multiple correlational analysis (stepwise) may reduce the spurious findings as indicated above.

 

Conclusion

 

It would appear that alcohol consumption is related to soft pornography, males, and mildy related to marriage and divorce. Paradoxically, it is not related to cohabiters, who are stereotypically thought to be less conservative in terms of life style than married individuals and  thus thought to be those more likely to consume alcohol.*** Further research and improved operationalization is suggested.

 

Selected References

 

Gusfield, Joseph Symbolic Crusade:Status Politics and the American Temperance Movement (Urbana:University of Illinois Press)1963.

 

Helmer, John  Drugs and Minority Oppression (New York: Seabury Press) 1975

 

Sullivan , Thomas Introduction to Social Problems (Boston: Allyn and Bacon) 1997

 

Weldon L. Witters, Peter J. Venturelli, and Glen R. Hanson, Drugs and Society

(Boston: Jones and Bartlett) 1992.

 

Franklin E. Zimmiring and Gordon Hawkins The Search for Rational Drug Use

(Cambridge, Massachusetts: Cambridge University) 1992.

 

**Unfortunately, the stereotype has some data to support this statement.  In Sullivan

(ibid.361) males are are more likely to become alcoholics. They are also more likely to consume visual pornography (Sullivan, 422-423.)

 

***Again, a caveat is needed. Cohabiters can include indivuals of diverse demographics.

Alcohol consumption is a sin with some religious groups as is cohabitation. Thus, the findings indicated above do not support that premise.