26 June 2013

Article: "Drinking Successfully"

- Alcohol Consumption, Taste and Social Status


Article by Margaretha Järvinen, Christoph Houman Ellersgaard and Anton Grau Larsen in Journal of Consumer Culture, first published on June 19, 2013.

Social status and drinking in a Danish company
The paper analyses the relationship between social status, alcohol consumption and taste, using a Danish company as empirical case.

Gathering information about drinking styles
Methodologically as well as theoretically, the paper is inspired by Bourdieu. A social space tied to socioeconomic status and gendered work positions is constructed using specific multiple correspondence analysis.

Hereafter, a range of variables measuring alcohol-related practices and preferences are analysed, showing that specific drinking styles and alcohol preferences are associated with specific positions in the company’s status space.

A measurement for success
An omnivorous drinking style, embracing a broad variety of beverage types, drinking contexts and drinking companions is associated with high positions in the firm, as are specific types of drinks and specific reasons for drinking.

The paper discusses drinking patterns as both a reflection of and a contribution to social status differences.

Read the full article at the website of sagepub.com (requires access).