Transformation and time-out

The role of alcohol in identity construction among Scottish women in early midlife

Bibliographic Data

ID14908451
AuthorsCarol Emslie (0000-0003-2170-2039, Glasgow Caledonian University, corresponding author), Kate Hunt (0000-0002-5873-3632, MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit), Antonia Lyons (0000-0003-4254-3268, Massey University)
Year2015
Volume26
Issue5
Pages437-445
Publication date2015-05-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Drug Policy (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0955-3959 • E-ISSN: 1873-4758
PublisherElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.drugpo.2014.12.006
PMID25597015
PMCIDPMC4400074
OpenAlexW2159630428
LanguageEN
Citations received72
References cited51

Despite the increase in drinking by women in early midlife, little alcohol research has focused on this group. We explore how alcohol is associated with the construction of gender identities among women aged 30-50 years in the west of Scotland, United Kingdom. We draw on qualitative data from 11 focus groups (five all-female, six mixed-sex) with pre-existing groups of friends and work colleagues in which women and men discuss their drinking behaviours. Analysis demonstrated how alcohol represented a time and space away from paid and unpaid work for women in a range of domestic circumstances, allowing them to relax and unwind. While women used alcohol to construct a range of identities, traditional notions of femininity remained salient (e.g. attention to appearance, drinking 'girly' drinks). Drinking enabled women to assert their identity beyond the roles and responsibilities often associated with being a woman in early midlife. For example, some respondents with young children described the transformative effects of excessive drinking which allowed them to return temporarily to a younger, carefree version of themselves. Thus, our data suggest that women's drinking in early midlife revolves around notions of 'idealised' femininity but simultaneously represents a way of achieving 'time out' from traditional female responsibilities such as caring for others. We consider these findings within a broader social and cultural context including alcohol marketing, domestic roles and motherhood and their implications for health promotion

Construct (python library · Context (archaeology · Developmental psychology · Environmental health · Femininity · Focus group · Geography · Identity (music · Poison control · Sociology · Suicide prevention · Transformative learning · Gender Studies · Homelessness and Social Issues · Human Factors and Ergonomics · Medicine · Mental Health and Patient Involvement · Psychology · Social Psychology · Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes

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