Professor Emeritus, Stockholm University. Former Senior Advisor to the President on International Affairs. Former Deputy Vice President för Social Sciences, Humanities and Law.
The body of Internet addiction research articles has grown rapidly during the last years. Critics... more The body of Internet addiction research articles has grown rapidly during the last years. Critics claim that the bulk of this research is more confirmatory than scrutinizing, in spite of weak evidence for the label of addiction. A study on excessive Internet use in Sweden has been cited repeatedly in Internet addiction studies. The present study takes a closer look at these citations and combines the presentation with a systematic review of methods and theoretical approaches in Internet addiction studies, published between January 2000 and July 2013. 174 articles were analysed with Multiple Correspondence Analysis. Only 17% of the included studies were found to have an acceptable evaluative approach. Using these two empirical materials as our backdrop, we discuss how new concepts, such as Internet addiction, develop and the risks involved in scientific processes where critical reflections are overlooked and we conclude that the discussion and research on " Internet addiction " still is mainly indiscriminating when it comes to how the concept is defined, measured and judged.
Forskningsrapport åt Statens medieråd, Jan 1, 2010
Eklund, Lina, 1982-(author) Stockholms universitet, Sociologiska institutionen Bergmark, Karin, (... more Eklund, Lina, 1982-(author) Stockholms universitet, Sociologiska institutionen Bergmark, Karin, (author) Stockholms universitet, Sociologiska institutionen Stockholms universitet Samhällsvetenskapliga fakulteten. Sociologiska institutionen. Stockholm : Medierådet, 2010 Swedish. Related ...
In proceeding of: FDG 2013, the 8th International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games, At Chania, Krete, pp. 63-70
"In this study the focus is set on parental rules for digital gaming and Internet use. First a re... more "In this study the focus is set on parental rules for digital gaming and Internet use. First a review of the field is presented followed by analyses of adolescents’ media use and parental strategies for regulation. Data was derived from a Swedish survey of parents—Predominantly mothers—of adolescents aged 9-16 complemented with data from a separate survey of adolescents aged 9-16. Analyses are presented using gamma coefficients for bivariate correlations and linear regression models for multivariate analyses.
We conclude that parents in this study are involved in their adolescents’ gaming and Internet by restricting access to these media. Boys and young adolescents are controlled more than girls and older adolescents. Mothers made use of restrictive mediation more than fathers. Parents harbour quite negative views on gaming which might interfere with a more active role of parents in mediating their children’s gaming."
This paper aims at exploring the relations between early risk factors and the development of adva... more This paper aims at exploring the relations between early risk factors and the development of advanced drinking habits in adolescence. Data were derived from the longitudinal research program Individual Development and Adjustment. Results confirm earlier findings from longitudinal studies in this field. Three important factors have been identified: significant others, general sociability, and personality/conduct. More important, though, is that results indicate that knowledge about one or two background characteristics is not enough to make predictions of adolescent drinking habits. Rather, it is the ensemble of circumstances that together lead to an increased risk for advanced drinking habits in adolescence.
ANONYMA ALKOHOLISTER I SVERIGE
Akademisk avhandling som för avläggande av filosofie doktorsexa... more ANONYMA ALKOHOLISTER I SVERIGE
Akademisk avhandling som för avläggande av filosofie doktorsexamen vid samhällsvetenskapliga fakulteten, Stockholms universitet, offentligen försvaras i Hörsal 8, hus D, Frescati, fredagen den 12 maj 1995 kl. 10.00
av
Karin Helmersson Bergmark
filosofie kandidat
Sociologiska institutionen
Stockholms universitet ISBN 91-22-01675-9
106 91 Stockholm ISSN 0491-0885
ABSTRACT
The tremendous growth and diffusion of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), a world-wide mutual-help movement for alcoholics, has provoked a lot of scientific interest in the movement. This study started out as the Swedish contribution to a larger study on AA; The International Collaborative Study on Alcoholics Anonymous (ICSAA), carried through in eight countries. The aim of this work has been to describe and analyse AA in its context, as a segment of the international AA movement, and as one of many possibilities for alcoholics in Sweden striving to attain sobriety. Data has been collected through surveys, interviews, observations of meetings, from AA files and from AA texts.
AA is, after 6o years of existence, present on all continents. Millions of people have found their way to AA, and many, though presumably far from a majority of all attendees, have become sober as a result of this. The peculiar organisational characteristics of AA are central to the discussion. It is suggested that the organisational form of AA (the cell structure) and the genetic code (the Traditions) imply that AA will always be a victim of external circumstances. AA cannot act to protect itself.
In Sweden, the first stable AA activities were founded in 1953. For many years Swedish AA lived in the shadow of a successful dissident movement; the Links. The presence of a similar but publicly more visible movement blocked the growth of AA. Instead, thousands of alcoholics were attracted to the disease concept and parts of AA ideology, not through AA but through the Link societies. The introduction of the Minnesota Model for alcohol treatment in the 80’s coincided with a general transition towards market economy and demands for professionalism in treatment.. The impact of these changes on Swedish AA should not be underestimated. The development gave a turbo effect to Swedish AA. This time, changes outside of AA worked in favour of the movement that had almost vanished in the shadow of the Links. Now, it was revived in triumph through Minnesota Model treatment.
The history of AA in Sweden must also be related to some general transformations in the social landscape. The transmutation of AA ideology into its Link-form was strongly influenced by a social context that to a large extent was dominated by political collectives. It is also highly plausible that the rapid expansion of AA in Sweden in the 1980's to a great extent can be associated with a societal context where individuality prevailed. The specific Swedish AA configuration of this - in western countries - general trend might be better understood in its details by the organisational perspective that is outlined in the dissertation. That is to say; the organisational form of AA inhibited a defence against the Links hybrid. The mere existence of the Links delayed the development of AA in such a manner that Swedish AA came to be rather closely connected to professional 12-step treatment, a fact which in itself might strongly have influenced the character of the Swedish AA movement.
Keywords: Alcoholics Anonymous, AA history, organisational aspects of AA, AA and the treatment system, Minnesota Model treatment, modernity, Sweden
During the postwar era, extensive changes in family structure and gender roles have occurred in W... more During the postwar era, extensive changes in family structure and gender roles have occurred in Western countries. The aim of this study was to see if processes of change and convergence in gender roles have led to new drinking patterns among Swedish women. Data were collected from a survey conducted in 1979 and replicated in 2003. For this study, data on aspects of drinking patterns and problems were combined with demographics and indicators of social situation. For one of the drinking pattern indicators, the assumption of convergence between the sexes was confirmed. Generally, though, differences in drinking patterns are at hand among both women and men in the same direction. Also, social background factors and demographics have weaker explanatory power today compared to the late 1970s.
Allamani, Allaman and Vidal, Antonio and Beck, Francois and Gmel, Gerhard and Olafsdottir, Hildug... more Allamani, Allaman and Vidal, Antonio and Beck, Francois and Gmel, Gerhard and Olafsdottir, Hildugunnar and Rossow, Ingeborg and Bergmark, Karin and Bloomfield, Kim and Csemy, Ladislav and Kraus, Ludwig and Knibbe, Ronald and Ahlstrom, Salme and ...
The purpose of this study was to evaluate how drinking is related to positive expectations of the... more The purpose of this study was to evaluate how drinking is related to positive expectations of the effects of drinking. Data emanates from Gender, Alcohol and Culture - An International Study (GENACIS), a collaborative project in which surveys from all included countries utilized the same core questionnaire. Three indicators for positive expectations were used, representing a social, relational, and intimate dimension. Cross-country comparisons of positive expectancy reports were conducted, as well as exploratory multiple regression analyses of the relationships between expectations and drinking. Volume and binge drinking were used as two indicators for drinking pattern. The share of current drinkers varied between countries and genders. In all countries, men reported on expectancies more often than women. Regression model results are variable and not directly interpretable into cultural patterns, across countries and continents.
(a) To compare acute negative consequences for people who drink a given amount of alcohol on few ... more (a) To compare acute negative consequences for people who drink a given amount of alcohol on few occasions (concentrators) per week in comparison with the consequences for people who drink the same amount on more days in a week (spreaders). (b) To investigate whether these associations are cross-culturally stable. Analysis is based on general population surveys of adults conducted in 7 European countries. It appeared that more drinking occasions in many countries lead to more consequences independent of the volume consumed. Risky single-occasion drinking was to be associated with higher risks for immediate health consequences and legal problems, accidents and fights. Among older respondents the same frequency pattern appeared, with the exception of immediate health consequences among women. Hence, more regular drinking seemed to have more beneficial effects on older individuals compared to younger ones, which may be related to the different drinking situation: younger people mostly drinking outside the home. Amongst the younger people, frequent drinking seemed to be associated with more acute consequences. Cultural and methodological variations must be taken into account. Even so, it is concluded that the credibility of these findings is strengthened by differences in the methods of the surveys.
Data were available from general population surveys carried out in six countries in the years 200... more Data were available from general population surveys carried out in six countries in the years 2000 to 2005 under the auspices of Gender, Alcohol and Culture: An International Study (GENACIS). A total of 2089 adults aged 24-32 in the Czech Republic, Denmark, the Isle of Man, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom (UK) responded to questions about their drinking habits and social consequences directly resulting from their drinking. Survey methods varied from quota sampling with face-to-face interviewing in Spain and the UK to telephone surveys in Denmark and Sweden. Response rates varied from 50% to 72%. "Binge drinking" defined as a usual amount of more than 8 UK "units" for men and more than 6 units for women was more likely than moderate drinking to lead to social consequences, fights, or being asked to cut down on drinking. There were highly significant differences between the countries both in the percentages of "heavy" drinkers and in the adverse consequences of binge drinking. In Spain, the UK, and the Czech Republic binge drinking was more likely to lead to adverse consequences than was binge drinking in the other three countries. Male gender, low educational level, high drinking frequency, and single marital status were also significantly associated with adverse social consequences from drinking, but none of these variables explained the country differences. The presence of children had little effect.
279 Tabula gratulatoria Alcohol and Drug Research Group at Stakes Centre for Advanced Study at ... more 279 Tabula gratulatoria Alcohol and Drug Research Group at Stakes Centre for Advanced Study at the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters (CAS) Health Economics Research Programme at the University of Oslo (HERO) Department of Sociology and Human ...
... NAT vol. 26. Contents 4/2009. Editorial. Kerstin Stenius Fat words and thin concepts. Researc... more ... NAT vol. 26. Contents 4/2009. Editorial. Kerstin Stenius Fat words and thin concepts. Research reports. Johan Edman What's in a name? Alcohol and drug treatment and the politics of confusion. Matilda Hellman Designation practices ...
The body of Internet addiction research articles has grown rapidly during the last years. Critics... more The body of Internet addiction research articles has grown rapidly during the last years. Critics claim that the bulk of this research is more confirmatory than scrutinizing, in spite of weak evidence for the label of addiction. A study on excessive Internet use in Sweden has been cited repeatedly in Internet addiction studies. The present study takes a closer look at these citations and combines the presentation with a systematic review of methods and theoretical approaches in Internet addiction studies, published between January 2000 and July 2013. 174 articles were analysed with Multiple Correspondence Analysis. Only 17% of the included studies were found to have an acceptable evaluative approach. Using these two empirical materials as our backdrop, we discuss how new concepts, such as Internet addiction, develop and the risks involved in scientific processes where critical reflections are overlooked and we conclude that the discussion and research on " Internet addiction " still is mainly indiscriminating when it comes to how the concept is defined, measured and judged.
Forskningsrapport åt Statens medieråd, Jan 1, 2010
Eklund, Lina, 1982-(author) Stockholms universitet, Sociologiska institutionen Bergmark, Karin, (... more Eklund, Lina, 1982-(author) Stockholms universitet, Sociologiska institutionen Bergmark, Karin, (author) Stockholms universitet, Sociologiska institutionen Stockholms universitet Samhällsvetenskapliga fakulteten. Sociologiska institutionen. Stockholm : Medierådet, 2010 Swedish. Related ...
In proceeding of: FDG 2013, the 8th International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games, At Chania, Krete, pp. 63-70
"In this study the focus is set on parental rules for digital gaming and Internet use. First a re... more "In this study the focus is set on parental rules for digital gaming and Internet use. First a review of the field is presented followed by analyses of adolescents’ media use and parental strategies for regulation. Data was derived from a Swedish survey of parents—Predominantly mothers—of adolescents aged 9-16 complemented with data from a separate survey of adolescents aged 9-16. Analyses are presented using gamma coefficients for bivariate correlations and linear regression models for multivariate analyses.
We conclude that parents in this study are involved in their adolescents’ gaming and Internet by restricting access to these media. Boys and young adolescents are controlled more than girls and older adolescents. Mothers made use of restrictive mediation more than fathers. Parents harbour quite negative views on gaming which might interfere with a more active role of parents in mediating their children’s gaming."
This paper aims at exploring the relations between early risk factors and the development of adva... more This paper aims at exploring the relations between early risk factors and the development of advanced drinking habits in adolescence. Data were derived from the longitudinal research program Individual Development and Adjustment. Results confirm earlier findings from longitudinal studies in this field. Three important factors have been identified: significant others, general sociability, and personality/conduct. More important, though, is that results indicate that knowledge about one or two background characteristics is not enough to make predictions of adolescent drinking habits. Rather, it is the ensemble of circumstances that together lead to an increased risk for advanced drinking habits in adolescence.
ANONYMA ALKOHOLISTER I SVERIGE
Akademisk avhandling som för avläggande av filosofie doktorsexa... more ANONYMA ALKOHOLISTER I SVERIGE
Akademisk avhandling som för avläggande av filosofie doktorsexamen vid samhällsvetenskapliga fakulteten, Stockholms universitet, offentligen försvaras i Hörsal 8, hus D, Frescati, fredagen den 12 maj 1995 kl. 10.00
av
Karin Helmersson Bergmark
filosofie kandidat
Sociologiska institutionen
Stockholms universitet ISBN 91-22-01675-9
106 91 Stockholm ISSN 0491-0885
ABSTRACT
The tremendous growth and diffusion of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), a world-wide mutual-help movement for alcoholics, has provoked a lot of scientific interest in the movement. This study started out as the Swedish contribution to a larger study on AA; The International Collaborative Study on Alcoholics Anonymous (ICSAA), carried through in eight countries. The aim of this work has been to describe and analyse AA in its context, as a segment of the international AA movement, and as one of many possibilities for alcoholics in Sweden striving to attain sobriety. Data has been collected through surveys, interviews, observations of meetings, from AA files and from AA texts.
AA is, after 6o years of existence, present on all continents. Millions of people have found their way to AA, and many, though presumably far from a majority of all attendees, have become sober as a result of this. The peculiar organisational characteristics of AA are central to the discussion. It is suggested that the organisational form of AA (the cell structure) and the genetic code (the Traditions) imply that AA will always be a victim of external circumstances. AA cannot act to protect itself.
In Sweden, the first stable AA activities were founded in 1953. For many years Swedish AA lived in the shadow of a successful dissident movement; the Links. The presence of a similar but publicly more visible movement blocked the growth of AA. Instead, thousands of alcoholics were attracted to the disease concept and parts of AA ideology, not through AA but through the Link societies. The introduction of the Minnesota Model for alcohol treatment in the 80’s coincided with a general transition towards market economy and demands for professionalism in treatment.. The impact of these changes on Swedish AA should not be underestimated. The development gave a turbo effect to Swedish AA. This time, changes outside of AA worked in favour of the movement that had almost vanished in the shadow of the Links. Now, it was revived in triumph through Minnesota Model treatment.
The history of AA in Sweden must also be related to some general transformations in the social landscape. The transmutation of AA ideology into its Link-form was strongly influenced by a social context that to a large extent was dominated by political collectives. It is also highly plausible that the rapid expansion of AA in Sweden in the 1980's to a great extent can be associated with a societal context where individuality prevailed. The specific Swedish AA configuration of this - in western countries - general trend might be better understood in its details by the organisational perspective that is outlined in the dissertation. That is to say; the organisational form of AA inhibited a defence against the Links hybrid. The mere existence of the Links delayed the development of AA in such a manner that Swedish AA came to be rather closely connected to professional 12-step treatment, a fact which in itself might strongly have influenced the character of the Swedish AA movement.
Keywords: Alcoholics Anonymous, AA history, organisational aspects of AA, AA and the treatment system, Minnesota Model treatment, modernity, Sweden
During the postwar era, extensive changes in family structure and gender roles have occurred in W... more During the postwar era, extensive changes in family structure and gender roles have occurred in Western countries. The aim of this study was to see if processes of change and convergence in gender roles have led to new drinking patterns among Swedish women. Data were collected from a survey conducted in 1979 and replicated in 2003. For this study, data on aspects of drinking patterns and problems were combined with demographics and indicators of social situation. For one of the drinking pattern indicators, the assumption of convergence between the sexes was confirmed. Generally, though, differences in drinking patterns are at hand among both women and men in the same direction. Also, social background factors and demographics have weaker explanatory power today compared to the late 1970s.
Allamani, Allaman and Vidal, Antonio and Beck, Francois and Gmel, Gerhard and Olafsdottir, Hildug... more Allamani, Allaman and Vidal, Antonio and Beck, Francois and Gmel, Gerhard and Olafsdottir, Hildugunnar and Rossow, Ingeborg and Bergmark, Karin and Bloomfield, Kim and Csemy, Ladislav and Kraus, Ludwig and Knibbe, Ronald and Ahlstrom, Salme and ...
The purpose of this study was to evaluate how drinking is related to positive expectations of the... more The purpose of this study was to evaluate how drinking is related to positive expectations of the effects of drinking. Data emanates from Gender, Alcohol and Culture - An International Study (GENACIS), a collaborative project in which surveys from all included countries utilized the same core questionnaire. Three indicators for positive expectations were used, representing a social, relational, and intimate dimension. Cross-country comparisons of positive expectancy reports were conducted, as well as exploratory multiple regression analyses of the relationships between expectations and drinking. Volume and binge drinking were used as two indicators for drinking pattern. The share of current drinkers varied between countries and genders. In all countries, men reported on expectancies more often than women. Regression model results are variable and not directly interpretable into cultural patterns, across countries and continents.
(a) To compare acute negative consequences for people who drink a given amount of alcohol on few ... more (a) To compare acute negative consequences for people who drink a given amount of alcohol on few occasions (concentrators) per week in comparison with the consequences for people who drink the same amount on more days in a week (spreaders). (b) To investigate whether these associations are cross-culturally stable. Analysis is based on general population surveys of adults conducted in 7 European countries. It appeared that more drinking occasions in many countries lead to more consequences independent of the volume consumed. Risky single-occasion drinking was to be associated with higher risks for immediate health consequences and legal problems, accidents and fights. Among older respondents the same frequency pattern appeared, with the exception of immediate health consequences among women. Hence, more regular drinking seemed to have more beneficial effects on older individuals compared to younger ones, which may be related to the different drinking situation: younger people mostly drinking outside the home. Amongst the younger people, frequent drinking seemed to be associated with more acute consequences. Cultural and methodological variations must be taken into account. Even so, it is concluded that the credibility of these findings is strengthened by differences in the methods of the surveys.
Data were available from general population surveys carried out in six countries in the years 200... more Data were available from general population surveys carried out in six countries in the years 2000 to 2005 under the auspices of Gender, Alcohol and Culture: An International Study (GENACIS). A total of 2089 adults aged 24-32 in the Czech Republic, Denmark, the Isle of Man, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom (UK) responded to questions about their drinking habits and social consequences directly resulting from their drinking. Survey methods varied from quota sampling with face-to-face interviewing in Spain and the UK to telephone surveys in Denmark and Sweden. Response rates varied from 50% to 72%. "Binge drinking" defined as a usual amount of more than 8 UK "units" for men and more than 6 units for women was more likely than moderate drinking to lead to social consequences, fights, or being asked to cut down on drinking. There were highly significant differences between the countries both in the percentages of "heavy" drinkers and in the adverse consequences of binge drinking. In Spain, the UK, and the Czech Republic binge drinking was more likely to lead to adverse consequences than was binge drinking in the other three countries. Male gender, low educational level, high drinking frequency, and single marital status were also significantly associated with adverse social consequences from drinking, but none of these variables explained the country differences. The presence of children had little effect.
279 Tabula gratulatoria Alcohol and Drug Research Group at Stakes Centre for Advanced Study at ... more 279 Tabula gratulatoria Alcohol and Drug Research Group at Stakes Centre for Advanced Study at the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters (CAS) Health Economics Research Programme at the University of Oslo (HERO) Department of Sociology and Human ...
... NAT vol. 26. Contents 4/2009. Editorial. Kerstin Stenius Fat words and thin concepts. Researc... more ... NAT vol. 26. Contents 4/2009. Editorial. Kerstin Stenius Fat words and thin concepts. Research reports. Johan Edman What's in a name? Alcohol and drug treatment and the politics of confusion. Matilda Hellman Designation practices ...
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Papers by Karin H Bergmark
We conclude that parents in this study are involved in their adolescents’ gaming and Internet by restricting access to these media. Boys and young adolescents are controlled more than girls and older adolescents. Mothers made use of restrictive mediation more than fathers. Parents harbour quite negative views on gaming which might interfere with a more active role of parents in mediating their children’s gaming."
Akademisk avhandling som för avläggande av filosofie doktorsexamen vid samhällsvetenskapliga fakulteten, Stockholms universitet, offentligen försvaras i Hörsal 8, hus D, Frescati, fredagen den 12 maj 1995 kl. 10.00
av
Karin Helmersson Bergmark
filosofie kandidat
Sociologiska institutionen
Stockholms universitet ISBN 91-22-01675-9
106 91 Stockholm ISSN 0491-0885
ABSTRACT
The tremendous growth and diffusion of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), a world-wide mutual-help movement for alcoholics, has provoked a lot of scientific interest in the movement. This study started out as the Swedish contribution to a larger study on AA; The International Collaborative Study on Alcoholics Anonymous (ICSAA), carried through in eight countries. The aim of this work has been to describe and analyse AA in its context, as a segment of the international AA movement, and as one of many possibilities for alcoholics in Sweden striving to attain sobriety. Data has been collected through surveys, interviews, observations of meetings, from AA files and from AA texts.
AA is, after 6o years of existence, present on all continents. Millions of people have found their way to AA, and many, though presumably far from a majority of all attendees, have become sober as a result of this. The peculiar organisational characteristics of AA are central to the discussion. It is suggested that the organisational form of AA (the cell structure) and the genetic code (the Traditions) imply that AA will always be a victim of external circumstances. AA cannot act to protect itself.
In Sweden, the first stable AA activities were founded in 1953. For many years Swedish AA lived in the shadow of a successful dissident movement; the Links. The presence of a similar but publicly more visible movement blocked the growth of AA. Instead, thousands of alcoholics were attracted to the disease concept and parts of AA ideology, not through AA but through the Link societies. The introduction of the Minnesota Model for alcohol treatment in the 80’s coincided with a general transition towards market economy and demands for professionalism in treatment.. The impact of these changes on Swedish AA should not be underestimated. The development gave a turbo effect to Swedish AA. This time, changes outside of AA worked in favour of the movement that had almost vanished in the shadow of the Links. Now, it was revived in triumph through Minnesota Model treatment.
The history of AA in Sweden must also be related to some general transformations in the social landscape. The transmutation of AA ideology into its Link-form was strongly influenced by a social context that to a large extent was dominated by political collectives. It is also highly plausible that the rapid expansion of AA in Sweden in the 1980's to a great extent can be associated with a societal context where individuality prevailed. The specific Swedish AA configuration of this - in western countries - general trend might be better understood in its details by the organisational perspective that is outlined in the dissertation. That is to say; the organisational form of AA inhibited a defence against the Links hybrid. The mere existence of the Links delayed the development of AA in such a manner that Swedish AA came to be rather closely connected to professional 12-step treatment, a fact which in itself might strongly have influenced the character of the Swedish AA movement.
Keywords: Alcoholics Anonymous, AA history, organisational aspects of AA, AA and the treatment system, Minnesota Model treatment, modernity, Sweden
We conclude that parents in this study are involved in their adolescents’ gaming and Internet by restricting access to these media. Boys and young adolescents are controlled more than girls and older adolescents. Mothers made use of restrictive mediation more than fathers. Parents harbour quite negative views on gaming which might interfere with a more active role of parents in mediating their children’s gaming."
Akademisk avhandling som för avläggande av filosofie doktorsexamen vid samhällsvetenskapliga fakulteten, Stockholms universitet, offentligen försvaras i Hörsal 8, hus D, Frescati, fredagen den 12 maj 1995 kl. 10.00
av
Karin Helmersson Bergmark
filosofie kandidat
Sociologiska institutionen
Stockholms universitet ISBN 91-22-01675-9
106 91 Stockholm ISSN 0491-0885
ABSTRACT
The tremendous growth and diffusion of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), a world-wide mutual-help movement for alcoholics, has provoked a lot of scientific interest in the movement. This study started out as the Swedish contribution to a larger study on AA; The International Collaborative Study on Alcoholics Anonymous (ICSAA), carried through in eight countries. The aim of this work has been to describe and analyse AA in its context, as a segment of the international AA movement, and as one of many possibilities for alcoholics in Sweden striving to attain sobriety. Data has been collected through surveys, interviews, observations of meetings, from AA files and from AA texts.
AA is, after 6o years of existence, present on all continents. Millions of people have found their way to AA, and many, though presumably far from a majority of all attendees, have become sober as a result of this. The peculiar organisational characteristics of AA are central to the discussion. It is suggested that the organisational form of AA (the cell structure) and the genetic code (the Traditions) imply that AA will always be a victim of external circumstances. AA cannot act to protect itself.
In Sweden, the first stable AA activities were founded in 1953. For many years Swedish AA lived in the shadow of a successful dissident movement; the Links. The presence of a similar but publicly more visible movement blocked the growth of AA. Instead, thousands of alcoholics were attracted to the disease concept and parts of AA ideology, not through AA but through the Link societies. The introduction of the Minnesota Model for alcohol treatment in the 80’s coincided with a general transition towards market economy and demands for professionalism in treatment.. The impact of these changes on Swedish AA should not be underestimated. The development gave a turbo effect to Swedish AA. This time, changes outside of AA worked in favour of the movement that had almost vanished in the shadow of the Links. Now, it was revived in triumph through Minnesota Model treatment.
The history of AA in Sweden must also be related to some general transformations in the social landscape. The transmutation of AA ideology into its Link-form was strongly influenced by a social context that to a large extent was dominated by political collectives. It is also highly plausible that the rapid expansion of AA in Sweden in the 1980's to a great extent can be associated with a societal context where individuality prevailed. The specific Swedish AA configuration of this - in western countries - general trend might be better understood in its details by the organisational perspective that is outlined in the dissertation. That is to say; the organisational form of AA inhibited a defence against the Links hybrid. The mere existence of the Links delayed the development of AA in such a manner that Swedish AA came to be rather closely connected to professional 12-step treatment, a fact which in itself might strongly have influenced the character of the Swedish AA movement.
Keywords: Alcoholics Anonymous, AA history, organisational aspects of AA, AA and the treatment system, Minnesota Model treatment, modernity, Sweden