Recommended Reading

SEPTEMBER 2010

"Drinking Games"

Summary

Why is it that some cultures drink alcohol frequently or in large quantities does not result in alcoholism or drunken behavior? Known for his best-selling books such as The Tipping Point and Outliers Malcolm Gladwell provides a cultural perspective on alcohol consumption in a recent article in The New Yorker.

With numerous references to sociological and anthropological research, Gladwell posits the theory that societies import meaning to drunkenness, which results in norms and standards that dictate how people consume alcohol and how they behave under the influence. Using examples of the Camba people of Bolivia, Italian immigrants in Connecticut, and tribesmen in Central Kenya, the article sheds light on the nature of the alcohol problem on college campuses:  “[F]rat boys drinking in a bar on a Friday night don’t have to be loud and rowdy. They are responding to the signals sent by their immediate environment…that say that young men in a bar with pulsing music on a Friday night have permission to be loud and rowdy.”

Implications for Prevention Practice

An engaging and provocative read, Gladwell’s article can be used to promote discussion on campus—among students, faculty, and administrators—regarding the environmental and cultural dimensions of the college alcohol problem. In particular, the piece may prompt conversation around how signals sent by popular culture and social institutions—including college campuses—are “teaching” students how to behave when drinking, and whether higher education can change those cultural norms.

Bibliographic Reference

Gladwell, M. (2010, February 15-22). Drinking Games. The New Yorker, 70-76.

Access to Article

Download the pdf: http://www.gladwell.com/pdf/drinkinggames.pdf