Title: Getting Wasted: Why College Students Drink Too Much and Party So Hard
Author: Thomas Vander Ven
Publisher: NYU Press, 2011
Access: Project MUSE
Personal Experience: First-hand accounts illustrate a variety of drinking experiences among college students.
Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC): BAC is a scientific measure but does not encompass the entire intoxication experience.
Dynamic Nature of Drunkenness: Intoxication is described as a process, beginning from the contemplation to the effects after drinking, showing the evolution of drinking episodes.
Initial Intentions: Tara plans for a light evening with friends before an early morning class.
They intended to drink lightly but were soon influenced by the environment.
Experience escalated with free shots from friendly bartenders leading to uncontrolled drinking.
Consequences: Resulted in vomiting, amnesia of walking home, and feelings of regret the following morning.
Definition: Society is created through interactions and symbols, shaping behaviors in various contexts.
**Core Ideas of Interactionism:
Humans are social beings, engaging in interactive behavior.
Individuals think and interpret experiences.
Situations are defined collaboratively by individuals.
Human behavior is context-driven, not pre-scripted.
People are active agents in shaping their realities.
Social Context: Decisions to drink are collaboratively made within peer groups or reference groups.
Examples of Decisions:
Tara and her roommates collectively decide to go out for a 'few' drinks.
External social factors influence their initial intentions.
Focus on Drinking: Many students equate college life with regular drinking which creates expectations.
Common Statements:
"I drink every weekend; it’s part of being a college student."
Events such as holidays and weekends naturally become occasions to drink.
Students establish drinking nights based on their class schedules, notably Thursdays to Saturdays.
Occasions for Drinking: Students relate drinking to academic cycles, from celebrating the end of exams to social events.
Role of Sports in Drinking Culture: College athletics have become essential to social life and often coincide with heavy drinking patterns.
Tailgating Tradition: Parties before games emphasize drinking prior to sporting events.
Pregaming: A common pre-drinking ritual to help prepare for a night out and manage expectations of consumption.
Drinking Games: Serve as both a social activity and method for inducing intoxication rapidly.
Buzz Checks: Regular self-assessments to gauge levels of intoxication and make decisions to continue or stop drinking.
Influence of Food: Consuming food while drinking is seen as a strategy to mitigate excessive intoxication.
Group Dynamic: Codrinkers support each other through collective monitoring and reminders to avoid extreme drunkenness.
Complexity of the Drinking Process: The dynamics of college drinking are multi-layered, describing not only casual patterns but also profound social rituals that influence behavior.
Struggle for Control: Experiences like Tara's illustrate both the enjoyment of drinking and the challenges of maintaining self-control in social drinking scenarios.