Alcoholism in Low Socioeconomic White Men

Running head: ALCOHOLISM IN LOW SOCIOECONOMIC WHITE MEN
ALCOHOLISM IN LOW SOCIOECONOMIC WHITE MEN
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1ALCOHOLISM IN LOW SOCIOECONOMIC WHITE MEN
Alcohol consumption has become a massive burden across global population, directly
influencing financial disturbance in millions of families and massively affecting
socioeconomic stability. 9-23% of healthcare costs in high earning countries are followed by
alcohol abuse and more than 60 diseases arise from binge drinking (WHO, 2014). It has been
observed in a meta-analysis conducted globally, that people with lower educational
opportunities have higher dependence on alcohol, and the rate of consumption could not be
defined by drinking patterns in these cases (Jones et al., 2015). Weekly consumption of <100
grams is associated with lowest possible mortality factors caused by drinking (Wood et al.,
2018). Consumption of alcoholic beverages have contributed heavy drinking patterns among
deprived SES (socioeconomic status) groups, in comparison to wealthy groups which have
higher frequency of drinking tendencies ( Huckle, You & Casswell, 2010). Binge drinking
actively effects mortality along with morbidity of an individual and therefore hampers social
behaviors and triggers domestic violence.
Recent reports on socioeconomic variability have implicated that excess alcohol abuse
initiates an onset of alcohol dependence affecting younger individuals who started drinking in
an early age of 14 or less (Gordis, 2013). Alcoholism has inflated as a primary concern
globally and is the fifth singular reason related to accidental and untimely death, clinical
depression and deterioration of psychological health. Uncontrolled drinking and dependency
over alcohol consumption is one of the major malpractices that have proliferated, effecting
population and communities all around the world. Impact derived from direct and
consequential use of alcohol has perplexed lives of countless families, contributing
psychological and financial instability. Individuals with low socioeconomic background are
on the verge of economic disruption, leading to frequent verbal abuse and physical assault.
Escalation of health related complexities have also destroyed lives in most of the cases. In
this study, severe addiction towards alcohol and its side effects have been reflected in

2ALCOHOLISM IN LOW SOCIOECONOMIC WHITE MEN
context with ‘Ironweed’, a novel by William Kennedy, taking vulnerable white male adults,
as subjects of interest. Although, the novel depicts events related to the Great Depression era
of 1930’s, social stringency and income insufficiency have similar kind of consequences
equally true for present time.
A randomized control trial involving 759 American adults with 66 years of age or more, has
anticipated that neighborhood induction certainly reflects alcohol consumption and
proliferates drinking capacity of the population, especially in white men, compared to women
who were unaffected by neighborhood influence (Assari & Lankarani, 2016). Men of 25-34
years of age showed highest level of binge drinking, while 34-68 years aged men liberated a
significantly steep increase in binge drinking connected with increased rate of neighborhood
deprivation (Fone et al., 2013). Partial effect of social media and economic strength induce
indirect consequences on binge drinking patterns on lower socioeconomic society correlating
with lower income status in white men (Tucker et al., 2015). Civilians living in a location of
lower alcohol price and higher number of alcohol outlets have depicted increased allosteric
association with drinking behavior in communities with low SES (Pollack et al., 2005;
Huckle et al., 2008). Inter-community acceptance and social trust also plays a crucial role in
regulating drinking patterns, as men devaluated by neighboring community confessed to
consume excessive amount of alcohol on a regular basis. Perception of society in heavy
drinkers has worsened further by decreased participation in normal social activities and by
overwhelming feeling of exclusion (Murphy et al., 2014).
Epidemiological understanding has provided an insight to alcohol abuse correlating
proportionally with familial factors, implying, individuals with positive family history have
greater chance to develop an onset of alcohol abuse especially in younger people of 14 years
or less, while those with negative family history tend to have lower accountability of drug
abuse at an early age (Gordis, 2013). Although, a recent sociodemographic study by

3ALCOHOLISM IN LOW SOCIOECONOMIC WHITE MEN
Haberstick et al. (2014) have found that US white males of 20-23 years of age, are more
susceptible to alcohol use disorders (AUD) and are likely to develop lifetime alcohol
dependence. In addition, older individuals with a steady history of drinking presented
environmental factors and cheap availability (Richardson et al., 2015), as modulators of
drinking patterns and a decrease in social capital status is directly linked with excessive
drinking behavior (Iparraguirre, 2015).
Three possible mechanisms have been postulated to increase risk factors regarding alcohol
consumption. Firstly, exchange and practice of social behavior in a community greatly
influence the use of alcohol among non-drinkers and occasional drinkers (Boardman et al.,
2001). Secondly, people with low socioeconomic status (SES) are much more vulnerable to
alcohol due to mental stress and absenteeism utilizing alcohol as a mediator of coping
mechanism (Hill, Ross & Angel., 2005). Thirdly, sub-cultural footprint of a society greatly
enhances individual overview of a substance, be it alcohol or any other drug, and provides a
sense of assertion even it has harmful effects on a broader perspective (Morland et al., 2002).
The story ‘Ironweed’ by William Kennedy also deciphers the direct and subsequent effects of
binge drinking in a white American male and his family staged in the time of economic
recession of 1930’s, also known as ‘Great Depression Era’. Francis Phelan, the protagonist of
this story, who used to a basketball star, has turned into an alcoholic, and left his home after
killing his own son indulged in alcohol, deserting his only wife. Afterwards, he wanders
around like a vagabond and get involved with another drinker friend of his. Influenced by his
friend he falls into the trap of addiction, as he thought it would help him forget his crime
against his own child. The story explores the unhealthy and disgusted lifestyle of an addicted
person, and the amount of ill-treatment he experiences daily. However, the novelist provided
a way out of this sordid life, illuminating possibility to return to his family and belongings
and embrace the normal way of life.