Published: Mon Aug 29, 2011
On Aug. 23, a group of anthropology students and members of the interested public filed into a lecture series held on campus. The lecture, put on by the Anthropology Department, was part of a series called “Anthropology in the Public Sphere,” which focuses on the work of modern anthropologists.
“The course is required for anthropology students, but is absolutely open to the public,” Dr. Tricia Redeker Hepner, the coordinator of the lecture series, said.
The subject of the lecture was based on a study over alcohol in high school-aged teens, titled “Illicit Drinking Among Teenagers.” Hugh Gusterson, an anthropologist at George Mason University and one of the two main researchers of the study, was the speaker at this event.
The research was conducted with both teens and their parents, primarily through conversational interviews.
“It was important for the participants not to feel judged,” Gusterson said.
Gusterson explained how in the middle of his research it became clear that there were four types of teens at parties; abstainers, moderates, partiers and “losers.” Rather surprisingly, he concluded that the moderates and partiers rarely if ever put down the abstainers for not drinking; in fact he found they were often appreciated for their designated driving skills.
“We find a sort of interdependence, if you like, between the three groups,” he said.
That interdependence is decidedly not found within the losers. “Losers” are classified as the kids at parties who get so drunk they often make scenes and embarrass themselves. Even the most free-wheeling partiers tend to roll their eyes at the antics of the loser, according to Gusterson.
Gusterson also discussed drink preferences among teenagers. According to the study, vodka is by far the most popular drink among high school students, due to its powerful buzz at a comparatively low cost. The high school girls also tended to sip on fruity drinks, while the boys preferred beer. There was one beverage that Gusterson found was almost universally reviled among teens.
“The hatred high school students have for wine surprised me most about the lecture,” Nicole Thompson, a junior in anthropology, said.
This dislike for wine was something Gusterson was unable to figure out himself.
Gusterson also elaborated upon the role of the parent in teen drinking. In his study, Gusterson found a variety of attitudes among the parents studied, ranging from “Social Hosters” who permit teens to host parties in the family basement to tee-totaling parents who searched their children’s bags regularly looking for alcohol. Neither approach is particularly effective, Gusterson pointed out.
Overall, he discovered that teens and parents are simply not talking to one another about alcohol.
“What he said rang true to me as a parent and as an ex-kid,” Boyce Driskell, an archaeologist who attended the lecture for pleasure, said. “I guess we’re lucky they’re alive,” he added about his children.
The entire lecture was smooth, detailed and full of humor. The room full of college students was completely engrossed. After a brief question-and-answer-session, the anthropology students filed slowly out of the large auditorium.
As the room emptied, Hepner approached Gusterson and exclaimed, “Well, speaking of drinks, let’s go over to happy hour!”
The visiting lecture series is held in the auditorium of McClung Museum every Tuesday and Thursday between 3:40 and 4:55 p.m.
September 01, 2011
