Sociocultural Aspects of Alcohol Use and Abuse: Ethnicity and Gender

SUMMARY This review focuses on ethnicity and gender as key components of a sociocultural perspective on alcohol use and abuse. Conceptual issues in the use of ethnic categorization, particularly as they relate to the failure to examine differences within groups, are highlighted. Research on the prevalence of use, primary prevention, and treatment is reviewed and recommendations for future research are outlined. It is concluded that more careful attention to the impact of sociocultural factors, rather than the reliance on ethnic and gender based comparisons, will add to the knowledge gained from research on alcohol use and abuse.