I appreciate Robin's kind words. There are several sources for the little study that he mentions, any one of which may be hard to locate. First is a chapter by Trice and Belasco in a book edited by George Maddox called THE DOMESTICATED DRUG. Second is a discussion of this in the second chapter of the book by Trice and myself, SPIRITS AND DEMONS AT WORK, first published in 1972 and reissued in 1978. Finally, a fairly good summary piece is a chapter which I wrote for a book by Clifton Bryant entitled DEVIANT BEHAVIOR: OCCUPATIONAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL BASES.
Over my own career, I've had several different perspectives on this issue. First is the exploitation-by-subordinates argument that appears in the above citations. Second is the empirical finding from surveys of executives of very low rates of abstinence and very typical patterns of routine consumption of modest amounts of alcohol.... high frequency, low volume.
In the mid-80s I became intrigued by the implications of Selden Bacon's relatively uncited theory of social pampering. I used this and some empirical work by social psychologists to develop a theory of "social stardom" and its risks, based in part on an unexpected in-depth interview I was able to have with the former movie star, Eddie Fisher. These ideas were partially developed in two places, one a conferences proceedings out of Eagleville Hospital in 1982 or thereabouts, and secondly, I think, in 1985 in Robin's journal, Contemporary Drug Problems.
I have been intrigued for many years by the intermingling of alcoholism and work among creative types, with John Cheever's autobiographical material being particularly interesting. A biography of the author Paul Scott describes what I would call intense normalization of what I believe proved to be a fatal pattern of alcohol consumption. The New Deal era Senator from Nevada, Key Pittman, followed somewhat the same pattern but continued to perform. Certainly these patterns occur in workplaces as well, but rarely if ever are they documented.
All of the citations are vague here because I am writing this away from my library.
Paul M. Roman
Research Professor and Center Director
Center for Research on Behavioral Health and Human Service Delivery
Institute for Behavioral Research
102 Barrow Hall, D. W. Brooks Drive
University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602
-----Original Message-----
From: Robin Room [log in to unmask]
Sent: Fri, 31 Mar 2000 09:01:03 +0200
To: [log in to unmask]
CC: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: mixing business and alcohol
Tony --
There's a nice article by Harrison Trice and Paul Roman from the 1970s, I think, on how it can serve the interests of those immediately beneath the boss to keep him well supplied with drink. A version of this dynamic was playing out around Howard Hughes in his last days. Paul Roman also did some surveys on the drinking habits of business executives -- I'm forwarding this to him in case he wants to comment.
At a more plebeian level, Martin Plant did a longitudinal study of brewery workers, a book also in the 1970s, I think, looking at whether they were heavy drinkers because heavy drinkers selectively recruited themselves into the job, or because the job made them into heavy drinkers. He found a little of each dynamic going on. Restaurant and bar workers have very high cirrhosis mortality rates, presumably reflecting their access to alcohol. I would think the Managing Director of Findlaters would have excellent access, and could supply the drinks for any drinking buddies, too.
Another name to look for in searching a database like ETOH is Genevieve Ames, an anthropologist who has done studies on alcohol and the workplace.
For the prehistory of alcohol and workplace, with special reference to Ireland, see Richard Stivers' A Hair of the Dog, a book from the early 1970s. Robin Room
-----Original Message-----
From: David Fahey <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: den 30 mars 2000 18:42
Subject: mixing business and alcohol
>>Date: Thu, 30 Mar 2000 17:00:13 +0100
>>From: [log in to unmask]
>>Subject: Social History of Alcohol
>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>MIME-version: 1.0
>>X-MIMEOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3
>>X-Priority: 3
>>X-MSMail-priority: Normal
>>Original-recipient: rfc822;[log in to unmask]
>>
>>I am working as editor on a major study of an Irish importer/wholesaler of
>>whiskey and wine called Findlaters and came across an issue or two of your
>>journal. The topic interested me specifically since the penultimate Managing
>>Director of the firm (1938-62) basically drank himself to death (starting it
>>is thought after the death of his 10 year old daughter in 1944). He became a
>>two bottles of gin man.
>>The interesting thing is that he never had trouble finding people
>>(fellowbusinessmen) to drink with. Almost a culture of alcohol. Is there
>>anything on this almost suicidal mix of business and alcohol that might
>>illuminate this sad story?
>>
>>Tony Farmar
>>
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