Women and Alcohol: Contemporary and Historical Perspectives

Alchohol consumption and alcohol-related problems among women have long been a focus of concern and often the targets for prejudice and distortion. This book brings together a wide range of contemporary and historical evidence on the consumption of alcohol and its associated adverse consequences and benefits amongst women. Broad in its perspective, it does not concentrate solely upon the ill effects associated with heavy or inappropriate drinking by women. Neither does it lose sight of the historical, moral and social context in which drinking occurs. The book records the widespread and persisting ambivalence or hostility in many cultures towards the relation of women with alcohol by reference to religious and social pressures, gender roles and stereotypes and the view of alcohol as a facilitator of unrestrained and 'wanton' behaviour. The ambiguity accorded is contrasted with the normative nature of female drinking in many contexts and the dominant role of women as producers and retailers of alcohol in many developing societies. The topics covered include: international trends; sexual behaviour; physical and psychological effects; pregnancy; risk taking; child abuse and other violence; prevention, treatment, and harm minimisation. The book ends with probably the most comprehensive reference resource on the subject ever published. Not all that has been written about alcohol consumption by women has been reasonable or objective. This book emphasises that women are not a high-risk group. However it also demonstrates that there are important differences between men and women in many aspects of consumption and that the freedom of women to drink, and the decency with which alcohol problems are managed, do depend upon the preservation of fundamental human rights.