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Drinking, Interaction, and Identification: Notes on Socialization into Skid Row

1967; SAGE Publishing; Volume: 8; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.2307/2948421

2150-6000

Howard M. Bahr,

Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes

This paper focuses on aspects of adult socialization into the deviant community of skid row. Residence on skid row is defined as a stigma, and the extent of one's acceptance of the stigma and identification with skid row are viewed as varying with his drinking behavior, his interaction with other skid-row men, and his interaction with people who do not live on skid row (normals). These ideas are tested in a secondary analysis of data gathered in a 1964 survey of 92 skid-row men selected at random from the registers of four Bowery lodging houses. Findings consistent with the hypotheses include the following: 1) identification with the Bowery varies Inversely with extent of interaction with normals; 2) interaction with Bowery men is directly related to conformity to skid-row drinking patterns. Five other hypotheses receive partial support from the analysis. In general, support for the hypotheses is greatest among two Bowery subpopulations-men who have lived there less than 10 years, and men who do not drink heavily.