Summary

The interpretative accounts presented enabled the research questions of this study to be answered. These accounts are descriptive, because the identified discourse and examples are presented, as well as explanatory, when links between discourses are made giving them the sense of a context. The interpretative accounts allowed the researcher to identify how socially available discursive resources are used by the participants to account for their alcohol use in the particular social context (e.g. what was the social function of the account that is being offered at any one moment) and the subjects' positions provided by these accounts. The explanatory accounts allowed for identification of the ways in which the participants negotiated their positions in instances when a coherent subjectivity (e.g. a position of a good and controlled drinker) was challenged by the interviewer.

The results indicate that participants hold two distinct and contrasting views on alcohol use. They consistently portrayed drinking alcohol as positive, when talking about their drinking behaviours, and negative in relation to other people drinking. In positive terms, drinking alcohol is something that the participants use for sociability. To construct their drinking behaviours positively they have drawn on the 'social life' discourse to construct alcohol use as an integral part of social events. Participants justified their drinking with appropriateness of the context and tradition embedded in their social lives. They emphasised the importance of

69 social aspects that come with drinking and indicated that alcohol use offers benefits of social setting and allows them to feel included in a group. They used this discourse to claim the identity of a social person and one who has friends and attends social events. Using alcohol for these reasons they presented as socially acceptable and constructed drinking alone and for reasons of getting drunk negatively.

Findings indicate that the participants use alcohol as a means to relax and wind down at the end of the day or after work. They drew on the 'drinking to relax' discourse to construct their alcohol use positively and claim an identity of a good drinker; one who drinks for relaxation and not with intentions of getting drunk. Participants constructed their alcohol use for reasons of relaxation positively, as a behaviour associated with home environment and the evenings. Talking about alcohol in these positive terms allowed participants to present their alcohol use for reasons of relaxation as acceptable.

This study found that being in control of alcohol use and not displaying negative drinking behaviour was important to the participants. They drew on the 'functional drinking' discourse to construct their alcohol use as a controlled and regulated practice. Alcohol use was presented as being drunk by choice and he efo e implied con ol ove one’ ac ion . Being able to drink alcohol in such a way they associated with non- dependency. Participants claimed an identity of a controlled drinker and avoided being perceived negatively as an alcoholic and being alcohol dependant. This allowed for identification of social location of their drinking behaviours in relation to stigma that is associated with alcoholism in New Zealand.

The positive view on alcohol use was contrasted with adverse effects of drinking on human health. The participants expressed awareness of a variety of diseases that alcohol use may cause. They drew on the 'health issue' discourse to construct alcohol use negatively as an issue for heavy and excessive drinkers and did not identify with it. They claimed an identity of a healthy drinker; one who drinks in moderation and takes care of his drinking and health. Constructing alcohol use in such a way worked for participants to resist being positioned negatively. Participants emphasised the health

70 benefits of moderate alcohol use and documented the power of public discourse on benefits of drinking in moderation. This positive positioning was challenged in talk on alcohol use when in need of medication. In this instance, the participants commonly drew on the 'social life' discourse to resist the negative position of an unhealthy drinker; one who puts his health in danger. They reasoned their drinking in social terms over health concerns and documented the importance of the social aspects of drinking on the participants' alcohol use.

The results show that the participants are aware of the adverse effects and consequences of drinking. They drew on the 'problem' discourse to construct alcohol as a problem - a societal issue and a burden. They used this discourse to position young people and their binge drinking behaviours negatively. This shift of problematic use of alcohol to others ensured participants' positive positioning of a responsible drinker; one whose drinking is not harmful or problematic. Participants constructed binge drinking as consistent with the current New Zealand drinking culture and implied to normality of this behaviour as a young pe on’ phase. Contrasting their past experiences with their current drinking rates allowed participants to be positioned favourably. Findings also indicate that participants did not refer to alcohol use as gender-based practices at their age. However, when drawing on the 'problem' discourse, some participants constructed young women drinking as a rising issue, which suggests that there is stigma associated with public drinking by women.

71