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- Title
Among friends: a qualitative exploration of the role of peers in young people's alcohol use using Bourdieu's concepts of habitus, field and capital.
- Authors
MacArthur, Georgie J.; Jacob, Nina; Pound, Pandora; Hickman, Matthew; Campbell, Rona
- Abstract
Drinking is viewed by young people as a predominantly social activity which provides an opportunity for entertainment and bonding with friends. Using Bourdieu's concepts of habitus, field and capital, this article explores young people's attitudes and beliefs around alcohol use, influences on behaviour, and the role of peers, with a view to informing the development of preventive interventions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 young people aged 18-20 in the south west of England. We describe how friends were integral in drinking experiences, and drinking with friends was equated with fun and enjoyment. In this way, the desire for social and symbolic capital appeared to be a key motivator for adolescent drinking. Critically, however, wider cultural norms played the predominant role in shaping behaviour, via the internalisation of widely accepted practice and the subsequent externalisation of norms through the habitus. Applying Bourdieu's theory suggests that population-level interventions that regulate alcohol consumption, and thus disrupt the field, are likely to facilitate behaviour change among young people by driving a response in habitus.
- Subjects
ENGLAND; BEHAVIOR modification; INTERVIEWING; LONGITUDINAL method; RESEARCH methodology; RESEARCH funding; AFFINITY groups; LABELING theory; BINGE drinking; HARM reduction; THEMATIC analysis; MEDICAL coding; FAMILY attitudes; ADULTS
- Publication
Sociology of Health & Illness, 2017, Vol 39, Issue 1, p30
- ISSN
0141-9889
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/1467-9566.12467