"... if there’s a party, then there’s definitely alcohol". Construction of partying practices and
abstinence in Estonian youth forums
Engelsk titel: "... if there’s a party, then there’s definitely alcohol". Construction of partying practices and
abstinence in Estonian youth forums
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Författare:
Parder, Mari-Liisa
;
Vihalemm, Triin
Email: mari-liisa.parder@ut.ee
Språk: Eng
Antal referenser: 58
Dokumenttyp:
Artikel
UI-nummer: 16033502
Sammanfattning
AIMS - Adolescents’ abstinence from alcohol has not been much researched in terms of
providing suggestions for prevention strategies. This study aims to fill that gap by offering a practice
theory-inspired analysis of how the unwritten rules of partying practices are communicated between
posters of Estonian youth forums.
DATA -These forums are novel objects of analysis in research on teenagers’ alcohol use, and the
article shares some topical experiences.
RESULTS- The findings of the analysis show that non-drinking at teenagers’ alcohol-related social
gatherings is generally communicated as a non-tolerated individual performance that is seen to
erode the whole collective partying practice. Young people therefore suggest in forums various
mimicry strategies to justify non-drinking.
CONCLUSIONS - The article casts doubts about the efficiency of risk awareness raising and teaching
individual skills in this context because they provide little help for those youngsters who have
already been recruited into partying practices and who need peer legitimation to leave these
practices. The authors pose suggestions for gradually making the current alcohol-related partying
practices more tolerant of non-drinkers, thus opening "subculturally supported roads" to personal
autonomy.