Antti Maunu

Light transgression and heavy sociability: Alcohol in young adult Finns’ narratives of a night out

This article explores the distinctive characteristics of present-day drinking habits in Finland. The data are young adults’ narratives of their nights out obtained in interviews that asked about ideal, typical and disastrous nights out. The data set comprises 117 interviews (60 women and 57 men). Questions covered in this article include: What motivates young adults to drink? What kind of self-regulation do they exhibit in their drinking? Is getting drunk a value in itself, or does it have a secondary meaning to other activities? Are there any gender differences in drinking habits? We look specifically at the roles of alcohol in young peoples nights out and how these roles vary during the course of the evening. Furthermore, the analysis looks at how the narratives are structured on the dimensions of goal-oriented linear time and ritualised repetitive cyclical time. Our analysis shows that the drinking habits of young adults reflect a movement away from the goal-oriented time of the everyday towards the cyclical time of ones own circle of friends. These breakaways are essentially an exercise in creating and strengthening a general will within the groups. They do not resemble total inversions or transgressions of the prevailing reality, nor are they about defiance, loutish behaviour, getting legless or locked up. Rather, these breakaways find mainly culturally regulated and ordered expressions. Indeed one can infer that sociable drinking habits have gained a stronger footing among young adults in Finland today.

Friendship and Social Emotions in Young Adult Finns' Drinking Diaries

In the article we examine the management of social emotions and friendship bonds by analysing the young adults’ pub and drinking diaries. We assume that emotions that are embodied in the management of friendship ties can be reduced to the emotions of pride and shame. According to Scheff, as primary social emotions, they are present in all communication and action. They express for the participants of interaction the actual “temperature” of social relations. Pride refers to a strong and safe involvement in interaction, in which individuals feel themselves fine and respectful. In a shameful state, individuals, in turn, experience themselves negatively in the eyes of others, which imply that social bonds are intimidated. The analysis of drinking experiences from the viewpoint of pride and shame brings expressively forth how drinking strengthens or weakens different kinds of social relations and dynamics and how actors try to attach to them or secede from them. In the diary narratives, the pride and shame of drinking is most strongly associated with reinforcement and bonding efforts of ties of friendship that are considered laid-back and like-minded. In relation to them the status, competition, the emphasis of ones self and indulging in love affairs occur in the narratives considerably more seldom, and if they occur, they rather contribute to shameful experiences or remain subordinate to friendship.

REFLEXIVE SELF-TALK AND SITUATED FREEDOM IN THE CONTEXT OF SOCIABILITY

ABSTRACT This paper analyses narratives in drinking and pub diaries written by young Finns aged 23–35. Drinking occasions in Finland are highly sociable gatherings in which one is oriented towards intensive interaction with ones friends. Thus, in the diaries the writers also reflect upon their expectations, descriptions and evaluations of these gatherings and the sociability they offer. In the analysis we focus on how during these occasions the writers adapt themselves to the perceived expectations of others, integrate these expectations with their own aspirations, or are sometimes compelled to change their aspirations. On this basis, we also pay attention to how this work of reflexive orientation functions to strengthen the expected course of ones own life, or as implying fateful moments, that is, transitions or turning points in the life course. In the analysis we apply G.H. Meads concepts of ‘I’ and ‘me’. The paper identifies three different kinds of ‘I–me dialogues’. First, loosening oneself momentarily from reflexivity to the collective body of friends; second, binding oneself reflexively to the common will of the group; and third, loosening oneself from group commitments, that is moving towards individual reflexivity and desires. Of these dialogues, the last mentioned contributes most often to fateful activity in which the writers’ life course is at stake. By contrast, the other two more collectively oriented self-talks rather refer to positive peak experiences that give emotional momentum to continue with ones existing life plans.