Unveiling the Gender Gap in Alcohol Misuse
"Fear, Anger, and the "Game of Secrets
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 2976816 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Colter J Uscola (0000-0001-9934-8821, University of British Columbia, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 11 |
| Publication date | 2025-08-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Socius Sociological Research for a Dynamic World (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2378-0231 • E-ISSN: 2378-0231 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1177/23780231251369154 |
| OpenAlex | W4413856483 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 102 |
Gender scholars often assume that alcohol misuse is representative of hegemonic masculinity, but women are simultaneously consuming rates and quantities that parallel those of men. To focus on the gender dynamics of alcohol misuse, the author interviewed 16 members of a metropolitan 12-step recovery community. The findings show how persistent marginalization and trauma contribute to two painful emotions, fear and anger, that influence doing gender through alcohol use. As women and men come to anticipate rejection or harm, they develop a fear of social interactions yet resist painful experiences in divergent ways. Women used alcohol (1) to carve out social mobility and status in spaces previously closed to them; (2) to manage social anxiety, fear, and anger rooted in trauma and marginalization; and (3) to challenge or reshape expectations of femininity by forming hybrid femininities of high expectations. Men used alcohol (1) to accept roles of low status; (2) to manage fear, anger, and emotional suppression tied to past trauma and marginalization; and (3) to construct hybrid masculinities of low expectations that resisted the hegemonic ideals they were socialized into. These findings challenge foundational gender research that links heavy consumption to hegemonic masculinity and inform alcohol research and public health policy
Anger · Computer security · Criminology · Psychiatry · Computer Science · Homelessness and Social Issues · Psychology · Racial and Ethnic Identity Research · Social Psychology · Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
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| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |