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Intoxication and Self-Orientations during Alcohol Use: An Empirical Assessment of the Relationship and of Its Determinants among Employed Men and Women

Douglas A. Parker, F. K. Kirsti Määttänen

Analysis of data from a survey of employed adults in Detroit indicates that frequency of intoxication is associated with a masculine self-orientation among men and a feminine self-orientation among women during alcohol use. The study calls attention to the importance of fathers’ drinking, life events, social class relations and a generalized alienation from self, work and society for understanding frequency of intoxication and masculine and feminine orientations during alcohol use. A path analysis suggests that the men and women who become intoxicated may regain a sense of self and relationships to others that they do not have in sober everyday life. Implications for future research on heavy drinking and self-orientations during alcohol use are discussed.