TY - JOUR
T1 - A qualitative exploration of rural and semi-urban Sri Lankan men’s alcohol consumption
AU - Sørensen, Jane Brandt
AU - Konradsen, Flemming
AU - Agampodi, Thilini
AU - Sørensen, Birgitte Refslund
AU - Pearson, Melissa
AU - Siribaddana, Sisira
AU - Rheinländer, Thilde
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was carried out with financial support from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark; Christian & Ottilia Brorsons rejselegat for yngre videnskabsm?nd og kvinder (www.brorsons-rejselegat.dk); Augustinus Fonden; Oticon Fonden; Direkt?r Jacob Madsen og Hustru Olga Madsens Fond; Wellcome Trust Safe Storage Grant [GR090958] and NHMRC Translational Australian Clinical Toxicology Program (TACT) (Grant ID1055176) and Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases (GACD) (APP1146354). None of the funding bodies played any role in the design of study or analysis of data. We especially thank the individuals and communities who generously shared their accounts of alcohol consumption. We further thank Chandima Jayasena and Ravi Pieris who as research assistants played an invaluable role in this study and Chamil Kumara and Sarath Lionel for their support. We are grateful to Surani Neangoda, Chathumini Rathnapala and Prabash Siriwardhana who verbatim translated the audio-recorded interviews and to all South Asian Clinical Toxicology Research Collaboration (SACTRC) staff, especially Michael Eddleston, Andrew Dawson, Manjula Weerasinghe and Indunil Abeyrathna. Staff at the Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Sciences, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, especially Professor Suneth Agampodi gave great support. Finally, we thank Safe Storage Trial for access to data (Wellcome Trust GR090958). JBS, TR and FK conceptualised and designed the study and data collection. JBS carried out data collection, data analysis and drafting of the manuscript. TR, MP and FK took part in analysis and drafting of the manuscript. BRS provided input to methodology, background information on the study site and analysis. TA and SS contributed to the context and cultural specificities, methodology and analysis. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019, © 2019 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2020/5/3
Y1 - 2020/5/3
N2 - Harmful alcohol drinking can have health and socio-economic consequences. However, consumption is also associated with pleasure and symbolic meanings. Alcohol intake is increasing in Sri Lanka. In-depth explorations of alcohol patterns are needed to inform interventions and policies. Qualitative data were collected over 11 months in 2014 and 2015 in the North Central Province of Sri Lanka. Ten focus group discussions were conducted in gender, age and geographically (rural and semi-urban) segregated groups. Observations were conducted at alcohol selling establishments and social gatherings. Bourdieu’s concepts practice, habitus, symbolic capital and distinction were used for the analysis. Three groups of consumers emerged: moderate consumers, abstainers and heavy drinkers. They each exercised distinctions through social codes of conduct within and towards other groups of consumers. Symbolic capital was expressed through choice of alcohol. Norms of ‘acceptable consumption’ were defined as ‘moderate drinking’ in covert, social and contained settings. Public, uncontrolled and solitary consumption violated norms of appropriate consumption. Young consumers communicated a ‘modern lifestyle’ through their consumption. This study found that alcohol practices mirrored social norms in this Sri Lankan setting. Alcohol and drug prevention and intervention efforts should take this into account.
AB - Harmful alcohol drinking can have health and socio-economic consequences. However, consumption is also associated with pleasure and symbolic meanings. Alcohol intake is increasing in Sri Lanka. In-depth explorations of alcohol patterns are needed to inform interventions and policies. Qualitative data were collected over 11 months in 2014 and 2015 in the North Central Province of Sri Lanka. Ten focus group discussions were conducted in gender, age and geographically (rural and semi-urban) segregated groups. Observations were conducted at alcohol selling establishments and social gatherings. Bourdieu’s concepts practice, habitus, symbolic capital and distinction were used for the analysis. Three groups of consumers emerged: moderate consumers, abstainers and heavy drinkers. They each exercised distinctions through social codes of conduct within and towards other groups of consumers. Symbolic capital was expressed through choice of alcohol. Norms of ‘acceptable consumption’ were defined as ‘moderate drinking’ in covert, social and contained settings. Public, uncontrolled and solitary consumption violated norms of appropriate consumption. Young consumers communicated a ‘modern lifestyle’ through their consumption. This study found that alcohol practices mirrored social norms in this Sri Lankan setting. Alcohol and drug prevention and intervention efforts should take this into account.
KW - Alcohol
KW - Bourdieu
KW - gender
KW - Sri Lanka
KW - substance use
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85071171547&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/17441692.2019.1642366
DO - 10.1080/17441692.2019.1642366
M3 - Article
C2 - 32301401
AN - SCOPUS:85071171547
SN - 1744-1692
VL - 15
SP - 678
EP - 690
JO - Global public health
JF - Global public health
IS - 5
ER -