Getting Rowdy with the Boys

Abstract

This paper consists of the presentation of ethnographic materials on the drinking behavior of young, working-class males as well as an analysis of those behaviors. The author primarily focuses on the examination of a sequence of drinking situations as experienced by one group of young males during the span of a single summer evening. The narrative reveals that there are available a surprisingly varied number of drinking environments, and that these contexts are appropirate for specific types of behavior that are deliberately sought by the participants. The analysis applies selected theories of drinking behavior to the empirical case. The author concludes that imbibing alcoholic beverages may facilitate attainment of desired masculine roles by promoting opportunities to experience enhancement or validation of “manly” status. In other words, among this group drinking alcoholic beverages aids in making the transition from “boy” to “man.” Moreover, it is shown that these drinking behaviors are shaped by cultural norms and remain within specified boundaries rather than constituting haphazard or random acts and events.