Extreme drinking among young adults in Kelowna and Vancouver : an ethnographic inquiry
department or school: Graduate Studies, College of (Okanagan)
data provider: DSpace
degree campus: UBCO
creator: Sharkey, Allison K.
issued: 2016-06-27T18:14:49Z
issued: 2016
related degree: Doctor of Philosophy - PhD
degree grantor: University of British Columbia
description: This study presents an in-depth qualitative understanding of extreme drinking among young adults age 19-26 in Vancouver and Kelowna, BC and offers recommendations for harm prevention and reduction strategies. Extreme drinking is defined as the research participant’s intentional consumption of alcohol with the explicit intent to achieve a subjective state of intense drunkenness or intoxication. I investigate young adults’ conceptualizations of extreme drinking behaviours, their motivations for such behaviours and the cultural, economic, structural and political factors that influence the occurrence of extreme drinking. I identify issues harm prevention and reduction strategies should focus on. Methods include semi-structured interviews with self-identified current and former extreme drinkers and structured observations at licensed establishments in each city. I draw on personal experience, providing a component of autoethnography in my analysis. Among extreme drinkers, the perceived positive outcomes of extreme drinking tend to outweigh the perceived negative ones. Alcohol functions as social lubricant, facilitator of sexual encounters and as a means of entertainment. Several study participants report using alcohol to decrease feelings of stress, anxiety or depression. Life problems related to securing financially and emotionally rewarding careers and actual or perceived barriers to mental health care are cited as motivations for extreme drinking. Alcohol consumption provides young adults a means of catharsis and release from negative emotions related to life problems. Extreme drinkers use black humour to cope with negative drinking outcomes and to justify continued extreme drinking. Recommendations for harm reduction include implementing educational campaigns detailing particular health risks associated with extreme drinking and means for offsetting risks, encouraging authority figures to promote the idea that it is safe and acceptable to seek medical attention when…
aggregated CHO: https://circle.library.ubc.ca/rest/handle/2429/58338
note: EXTREME DRINKING AMONG YOUNG ADULTS IN KELOWNA AND VANCOUVER: AN ETHNOGRAPHIC INQUIRY by Allison K. Sharkey B.A., The University of British Columbia, 2009 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in THE COLLEGE OF GRADUATE STUDIES (Interdisciplinary Studies) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Okanagan) June 2016 © Allison K. Sharkey, 2016 ii The undersigned certify that they have read, and recommend to the College of Graduate Studies for acceptance, a thesis entitled: Extreme Drinking among Young Adults in Kelowna and Vancouver: An Ethnographic Inquiry submitted by Allison K. Sharkey in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Studies . Dr. Naomi M. McPherson, I.K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences Supervisor, Professor (please print name and faculty/school in the line above) Dr. Hugo De Burgos, I.K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences Supervisory Committee Member, Professor (please print name and faculty/school in the line above) Dr. R. Robin Dods, I.K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences Supervisory Committee Member, Professor (please print name and faculty/school in the line above) Dr. Linda Hatt, I.K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences University Examiner, Professor (please print name and faculty/school in the line above) Dr. Colleen Dell, University of Saskatchewan, School of Public Health External Examiner, Professor (please print name and faculty/school in the line above) June 14, 2016 (Date submitted to Grad Studies) iii Abstract This study presents an in-depth qualitative understanding of extreme drinking among young adults age 19-26 in Vancouver and Kelowna, BC and offers recommendations for harm prevention and reduction strategies. Extreme drinking is defined as the research participant’s intentional consumption of alcohol with the explicit intent to achieve a subjective state of intense drunkenness or intoxication. I investigate young adu…
has type: Thesis/Dissertation
date issued: 2016-09
is shown at: 10.14288/1.0305126
language: eng
degree discipline: Interdisciplinary Studies
provider: Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
publisher: University of British Columbia
rights: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
rights URI: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
scholar level: Graduate
type: Text
identifier URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/58338