‘That's OK. He's a guy’: A mixed-methods study of gender double-standards for alcohol use

Abstract

Although drinking and drunkenness have traditionally been considered masculine behaviours, young women's alcohol consumption has increased in recent years. This mixed methods study was conducted to examine the extent to which young people endorse gender double-standards for alcohol use--i.e., less acceptance of drinking and drunkenness in women than men--and how these influence men's and women's alcohol consumption. A sample of 731 English university students completed an online survey of gender role attitudes, beliefs about the gendered nature of alcohol use and recent alcohol consumption. Sixteen participants were then purposively selected for individual interviews: eight women and men with the most egalitarian gender role beliefs, and eight women and men with the least egalitarian beliefs. The two sets of data revealed that although there were few sex differences in actual levels of drinking or drunkenness, gender double-standards for alcohol use persist: beer drinking, binge drinking and public drunkenness tended to be perceived as masculine, and even the most egalitarian respondents were more judgemental of women's drinking. Participants modified their drinking style so as to maintain a desired gender identity. Although gender double-standards could be a focus of interventions to encourage moderate drinking, such approaches could reinforce gender inequalities.

Sex Differences in Health and Survival

“…However, in recent generations in developed countries the gender gap in smoking (Pampel 2006) and alcohol consumption (Bloomfield et al 2006;De Visser and McDonnell 2012) appears to have decreased, or even reversed. This gap has decreased due to both a reduction in male consumption and an increase in female consumption of both substances.…”

“…For instance, in a qualitative study of young men in London alcohol consumption was described as a marker of masculinity (De Visser and Smith 2007). As gender-based double standards regarding alcohol consumption persist even among men and women who have similar consumption levels, there is clear evidence of a link between drinking and masculinity (De Visser and McDonnell 2012).…”

Adolescent Susceptibility to Deviant Peer Pressure: Does Gender Matter?

“…A growing body of work has begun to establish the predictive power of susceptibility to deviant peer influence on adolescents' risk-taking behaviors, a determinant of behavior that appears to be a general risk factor across genders. Building on the burgeoning research showing adolescents are highly attuned to picking up on and responding to social cues from their environments (Blakemore and Mills 2014), we examine whether and how deviant peer influence affects adolescent males and females differently during a period of development in which gender stereotypes may be especially influential in shaping perceived social norms (de Visser and McDonnell 2011;Young et al 2009). …”

Efeito Das Variáveis Sociodemográficas E De Vulnerabilidade No Padrão De Uso De Álcool Em Mulheres Universitárias

“…7 In regard to sex, the consumption of alcohol has increased among women. [8][9] Pre-established social dynamics have changed with women's increased social participation and insertion into the job market, 10 which lead to increased levels of stress and a search for momentary relief. Additionally, there are biological issues related to the metabolization of alcohol and other psychoactive substances, which is slower in women, making them more susceptible to damage associated with the consumption of alcohol, even if consumption is low.…”