Drinking Culture of Elderly Korean Immigrants in Canada: A Focus Group Study

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the drinking culture of elderly Korean immigrants in Canada. Using a focus group approach, qualitative data were collected from 19 elderly Korean immigrants (14 men; 5 women) residing in Canada. Data were analyzed using the techniques of grounded theory. The findings indicated that elderly Korean immigrants did not dramatically change their understanding of drinking or their ways of drinking. Instead, they modified their drinking behavior in accordance with the social and legal environment of their new country. In particular, Canadian alcohol policies, including the higher cost of alcohol, lower accessibility, and strict law enforcement, discouraged excessive drinking. Policy implications and recommendations for future research are presented.

Alcohol and older people: A systematic review of barriers, facilitators and context of drinking in older people and implications for intervention design

“…Aira 2008 noted that some people who did not formally report alcohol use did cite use for medicinal purposes. Using alcohol for relaxation was also reported in several studies [ 9 , 13 – 15 , 19 , 20 ].…”

“…Twelve studies included both male and female participants, one predominantly male participants [ 11 ], and one did not report gender [ 12 ]. Two studies were conducted in immigrant populations in Canada [ 12 , 13 ], one study was in an all-Caucasian population [ 14 ], two included participants from both white and black and minority ethnic (BME) groups [ 15 , 16 ] and one included predominantly white and Hispanic populations [ 17 ]. Ethnicity was not reported in other studies.…”

“…Information about amount and distribution of drinking patterns of participants was limited in some studies. Two studies specifically stated inclusion of only current or regular drinkers [ 13 , 14 ]. Two studies did not report details of alcohol consumption of participants [ 12 , 16 ].…”

The social context of alcohol use among Māori in Aotearoa/New Zealand: Reflections of life experiences of alcohol use by older Māori

“…There is very little research exploring the social context of Māori people's alcohol use (Awatere, Casswell, Cullen, Gilmore, & Kupenga, 1984;Mataira, 1987;Saggers & Gray, 1998) and only one publication focussing on older Māori (Herbert & Stephens, 2015). International research suggests that older people view their alcohol use as a part of their everyday social life, in a convivial manner and as a source of enjoyment, relaxation, and leisure (Dare, Wilkinson, Allsop, Waters, & McHale, 2014;Immonen, Valvanne, & Pitkälä, 2011;Kim, 2009;Tolvanen, 1998). While research in Aotearoa/New Zealand indicates that significant proportions of the older population do engage in hazardous alcohol use (Khan, Davis, Wilkinson, Sellman, & Graham, 2002), there is evidence that sociodemographic variables are related to these patterns of alcohol use (Herbert & Stephens, 2015;Khan, Wilkinson, & Keeling, 2006;Stevenson, Stephens, Dulin, Kostick, & Alpass, 2015;Towers et al, 2011).…”

Korea’s Drinking Culture: When an Organizational Socialization Tool Threatens Workplace Well-being

“…Kim and Hong's (2012) study also supports the socialization purpose of alcohol; more than half of Korean male employees drink with coworkers. Many Koreans see alcohol as a "social lubricant," as something that helps break the ice among people (W. Kim, 2009;Yang & Kim, 2012). H. S. Park and Lee (2011) also report that participating in drinking occasions was seen as a way to acquire useful information about a workplace and get close with coworkers.…”