This issue cycles around pretty frequently, as we all know. One aspect of it that the media seem never to acknowledge is that the notion that what constitutes "problematic" drinking or other drug using behaviors is culturally constrained and socially constructed. They say in this article, for instance, that binge drinking is consuming 5 or more drinks at one social event (that number usually refers to men, and women binge at 3 or more). How about if the event begins at 6 PM and goes to 2:00 AM. 5 drinks in 8 hours isn't likely to get many students drunk. How is the calculus affected by weight? Setting? Social activity? Type of beverage (beer vs. wine vs. booze vs. jello shots, and so on)? Intention of the activity? Frequency of the event? Its consequences for other kinds of activities like studying and or other social connections?
Was a time, not that long ago, when two martinis at lunch was not uncommon among the corporate class. Nowadays, the fact that the executive is drinking before 5 PM (or maybe even 7 PM now) indicates a clear case of alcoholism. Many of the comparisons that say that binge drinking is becoming a more serious problem don't take into account the fact that the definition of a binge has changed. More students binge drink today than did 30 years ago, for example, because the concept didn't even exist back then; also the notion that a student might drink 5 or more beers on a Saturday night wasn't much cause for concern.
Is binging the norm? Maybe. Social activities that feature alcohol are popular for good reasons and most students don't "binge" frequently enough to ruin or end their lives. For my money, college students partying is part of their growing up; being scared of their kids growing up is part of being an adult with kids in college. Something would be tragically wrong with our society if our kids weren't drinking and smoking dope every now and then and if there parents weren't freaking out about it a little bit.
Durkheim is instructive here. If it weren't binge drinking, another form of deviance would take its place.
As always, A.
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From: klausner <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: Teachsoc <teachsoc@googlegroups.com>
Subject: TEACHSOC: COLLEGE STUDENTS' BINGE DRKINKING AND SOCIAL NORMING THEORY: AN INTERESTING APPLICATION....COMMENTS PLEASE
Date: Thu, 08 Sep 2005 11:32:38 -0400
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Health/story?id=1085909&page=1
