This article compares adolescents' images of alcoholism in two different drinking geographies, namely Helsinki (Finland) and Turin (Italy), with the aim to better understand the persisting variance in youth drinking within Europe.
Design
Altogether 28 focus group interviews were conducted at schools among 15-year-old pupils (N=145). To assure reliable qualitative comparison across language boundaries, we applied a structured qualitative focus-group methodology called the Reception Analytical Group Interview (RAGI).
Conclusions
Collectivist images of alcoholism can be considered more protective in terms of alcohol-related risk behaviour as they 1) emphasise interpersonal responsibility, 2) enhance the value of norms and traditions, and 3) highlight causes of alcoholism which are beyond the control of the individual (that is, contextual, social and inherent in the substance), making the attitude towards alcohol more cautious. A greater emphasis on the individual competence may correspondingly result in a lower perception about the risks of drinking.
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