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FAMILIAL ANTECEDENTS OF ALCOHOLISM AND GENDER PERCEPTION AMONG ALCOHOLICS
Abstract
Alcoholism clearly runs in families, but the mechanisms for transmission are unclear. Previous studies of the family backgrounds of alcoholics reveal higher rates of parental loss and absence and parental alcoholism. Previous studies also found adequate gender attitudes but weak gender orientation and gender identity among alcoholics. The present study of family backgrounds in alcoholism and gender perception among alcoholics found higher rates of excessive drinking and parental loss and absence among parents of alcoholics than non-alcoholics. Financial and emotional resources were lower in alcoholics' than in non-alcoholics' childhood environments and child-rearing practices were more controlling. Alcoholics were more likely than non-alocholics to assume age-inappropriate activities, to report less stable childhood environments, and to report larger family size. Alcoholic males revealed weaker gender orientation and gender identity than non-alcoholic males. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic females differed only in self-ratings on the adjective "feminine." Alcoholics revealed less adequate personality adjustment than non-alcoholics. Implications for a social learning theory were discussed. Modeling of parents' excessive drinking is likely to have occurred. Parents also appear likely to have provided models of employment instability, lack of parental role interdependence, lack of achievement motivation, poor personality adjustment, and undifferentiated gender orientation. Dependence and passivity may have been encouraged by restrictive and protective parenting practices. These are generally considered feminine traits, which may explain the weak gender orientation and gender identity among alcoholic males. Diminished financial and emotional resources and controlling child-rearing practices may also have contributed to poor personality adjustment among pre-alcoholic children. Lack of adequate male gender role models appears to contribute to male alcoholics' difficulty in developing adequate gender identity. Weak gender identity may be an important factor in males' drinking. Female alcoholics' drinking appears to be influenced by situational factors rather than by gender identity difficulties. The implications of the present study for dependency, tension-reduction, genetic, and personalized power theories were discussed. Suggestions for future research were made. Implications for individual and marital therapy as well as strategies for prevention of alcoholism were examined.
Subject Area
Psychotherapy
Recommended Citation
ADAMS, JUDITH KAREN, "FAMILIAL ANTECEDENTS OF ALCOHOLISM AND GENDER PERCEPTION AMONG ALCOHOLICS" (1982). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI8217507.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI8217507