Observation Report

The Values and Beliefs of Alcoholics Anonymous

An Observational Study

Cascadia Community College

Author Note

This paper was prepared for Sociology 101, Section 01, taught by Dr. Lindsay Custer.

Introduction:

My research topic is focused on a specific sub culture and what that sub culture’s values and beliefs are. The sub culture that I chose to observe and study was Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). This is a self-supported group, meaning that they (members of AA) make their own contributions to support the organization. AA has a sole purpose and that is to help those with a common problem, that problem being alcoholism. They do this by sharing their hope, strength, and personal experiences with the group (Alcoholics Anonymous World Services; AAWS). I became interested in the sub culture of AA because alcoholism is such a vast problem. It is not only a disease that impacts the United States, but it is a global crisis. I wanted to observe the specific AA program to see what makes it appealing to alcoholics for them to want to join, and why it continues to grow around the world. My research question is: What are the beliefs and norms of Alcoholics Anonymous and what makes it continue to develop around the world? I observed multiple AA meetings to obtain information that could answer this question. Comment by Custer, Lindsay: Double space (per Style Guidelines). Comment by Custer, Lindsay: One word Comment by Custer, Lindsay: Maybe some statistics would be useful for supporting this claim. Comment by Custer, Lindsay: Your title says beliefs and values. Will you be examining their values too? Or just beliefs and norms? Comment by Custer, Lindsay: This is probably not something you can answer just by observing a few meetings.

Literature Review:

In the review by Polcin (2000) he shows the different options substance abuse counselors have for choosing a path to sobriety for their clients. Polcin (2000) describes the different treatment options, and plans on how to combine these treatment alternatives. He also states that most mental health patients have a higher percentage of abusing a substance. “…approximately 29% of clients with a current mental health problem also have a history of a substance use disorder” (Polcin 2000, p.#). He describes AA as a “Social Model Program”. A social model program as defined by Polcin (2000) is a program that relies mostly on the AA program and on peer support for recovery. This review showed that social model programs, like AA, are not only cost effective, but clinically effective as well. However, it was said that social model programs alone cannot help an addict that is also suffering from a mental illness. A program that Polcin (2000) discusses shows that AA along with mental health medications can be successful. “…12-step principles such as accepting help from one's "Higher Power," recognizing the implications of having a chronic disease, and learning new coping skills to prevent relapse are applicable to the treatment of chronic mental illness as well as addiction.” Citation This shows that the AA beliefs along with mental health medications can not only help treat alcoholism and addiction but mental health illnesses as well. While observing the AA meetings I will be looking to see if their beliefs concur with these arguments made by Polcin (2000). Comment by Custer, Lindsay: Avoid passive voice.

In the textbook, “Think, Sociology” (2011), a discreditable stigma is defined as “a stigma that can be concealed from others”. These stigmas that people try to keep concealed are usually a “mark of disgrace” and can be detrimental to their identity. “Alcoholic” is a discreditable stigma and can be a way of labeling someone negatively. AA is known for being “anonymous” and this may seem appealing to some addicts that are trying to hide their stigmas. Comment by Custer, Lindsay: I wonder if this might also influence some of the norms, values or beliefs of the group?

Methods:

I obtained my information by performing an observational study. This is effective because I was able to observe AA members in their natural setting, which is known as field research (Carl 2011) I was able to focus on one single group of people, and was able to gain specific details. The sample was a non-scientific convenience sample. This was because I used a group that was readily available to me (Carl 2011). I observed two different AA “open” meetings. Each meeting was an hour long and both contained about 25-30 people. An “open” meeting means that it is open for anyone to attend. You do not have to be an alcoholic to attend “open” meetings. You can be a family member, friend, or a visitor (AAWS). During the two hours of observations I was writing notes including; the messages written on the board, group members behaviors, how the group members spoke, what the group members were talking about, the structure of the meeting, food and beverages that were offered, and also the diversity of the group. After observing both groups I combined my observations and information to form one cohesive collection of data. I was also given the option to take pamphlets with me which the AA group provided for free. I used one pamphlet, “A brief guide to Alcoholics Anonymous”, to gain information about the AA group that I could not obtain from observing. For example what an “open meeting” is and the requirements to join the program. The first hypothesis is that the beliefs and norms of AA are to remain sober by believing in a “Higher Power”. The second hypothesis is, AA is appealing to addicts because of the “anonymous” factor that helps them conceal their stigma. Comment by Custer, Lindsay: This sounds like a value (sobriety) coupled with a belief (higher power helps me remain sober). Comment by Custer, Lindsay: This is a good point. I wonder if you will be able to observer this in two meetings though?

Results:

To show the results of my observations I categorized the data into four sections; Behaviors, Surroundings, Language, and Topics Discussed. These examples demonstrate the cultural norms and beliefs of AA as an organization and its members.

Behaviors: Before the meeting began the room was filled with people. I noticed some people shaking hands, and some were hugging. I also noticed a lot of people laughing and smiling. When the meeting began only one person would speak at a time. There were two people in front of the room leading the meeting and the rest of the people attending were facing those two speakers. Each time someone different in the group would speak they would say, “Hi my name is, _______ and I’m an alcoholic”. Then the whole group would reply “Hi, ______”. After a speaker was finished with what they had to say the whole group would reply together “Thanks, ______”. During the meeting some people would talk about their “birthday” that was coming up. This was in reference to their sobriety date. After each person spoke about their “birthday” the group would clap and celebrate for this person. I also observed that most people were dressed casually, and most people had a beverage with them as well. Most people looked comfortable, for example the way they sat in their chairs, and the way they spoke without getting nervous or stuttering. Each person that talked spoke calmly. I also observed that there was a lot of joking and teasing during the meeting. They all seemed to know each other very well. During the meeting there was a basket passed around the room to give money to the AA organization. I noticed that most people did contribute by putting money into the basket. Comment by Custer, Lindsay: These sound like norms. Maybe it is good to label them as such?

Surroundings: The meeting took place in a room within a church. The church was “North Creek Presbyterian Church” located on 164th street in Mill Creek. To view photos of the church that the meetings are located at please see Appendix A and B. Mill Creek is a middle class town that is known for being clean and safe. Its population is predominately white/Caucasian. The room that the meeting was held in had a white board on the wall and on it was written the word, “Welcome!” To one side of the room there was coffee and tea available for free. There was also AA literature and pamphlets available for no charge for people to take. There were about 25-30 people in each meeting that I attended, and within this there were men and women, young, and old. There was a wide variety of people. However all did appear to be of a white/Caucasian ethnicity.

Language: At the beginning of the meeting I noticed that one speaker was reading from a script. He said in detail what the meeting was going to include and he kept the meeting on track and organized. While people spoke I noticed a lot of references that were being repeated quite often. These topics include; the twelve steps, The Big Book, Higher powers, God, praying, forgiveness, sponsors, the traditions, and the Bible. Another thing I noticed is that while people were talking they were using a lot of slogans. Examples that I heard where, “One day at a time”, “Let go and let God”, “expecting miracles”, “turn it over”, and “live and let live”. At the end of the meeting everyone joined hands and said the “Serenity Prayer”. The serenity prayer is, “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.” After saying this together then they all said one slogan in unison, “Keep coming back it works if you work it”.

With the repeated references to God, Higher Powers, praying, and The Bible, I assume that one major belief of AA is in a “Higher Power”. Another reference that was mentioned often and with high regard was the twelve steps. Due to this, I also assume that another belief is that the twelve steps can help lead to sobriety. During my observations I was welcomed to the meeting approximately 4 times, and newcomers were welcomed approximately 7 times. The word “Welcome!” was also written on the board, and food and beverages were offered. I came to the conclusion that an AA norm is to be welcoming, friendly, and to make newcomers feel comfortable. Another norm that occurred was giving money to the AA organization. Approximately 50% of the group put money into the basket. When the meeting began only one person spoke at a time, everyone said hello to that person, and thanked them for speaking. This leads to my conclusions that AA believes in respect for all the members. I also observed the members being comfortable. They were comfortable with speaking to the group, and with being an alcoholic. I came to findings that AA believes in being comfortable with whom you are, and helping others feel comfortable too. Good examples of norms and beliefs. Comment by Custer, Lindsay: Good job showing multiple examples to support your conclusion.

Discussion:

The results of my observations show that my hypotheses were correct, however more aspects can be found. The first hypothesis was that the beliefs and norms of AA were remaining sober by belief of a “Higher Power”. I did find this to be correct, however there are many other beliefs and norms of the organization. I found that AA also believes in respect, the 12-steps, feeling comfortable, and remaining anonymous. I believe that Polcin’s review (2000) did correspond with the AA beliefs that I found. His statements about turning to a “Higher Power” and using peers in your recovery were true. He also mentioned practicing AA alone cannot effectively help an addict that is also suffering from a mental health condition. I found that mental health conditions were not discussed in either of the two meetings that I attended. I found that AA does not focus on treating mental health conditions as a part of recovery. This is important for addicts that are looking for help in recovery, or for the justice system that implements AA in offender’s treatment plans. For an addict suffering from substance abuse and a mental health disease, they may need to execute a variety of treatment plans.

The second hypothesis was that AA is appealing to addicts because of the “anonymous” factor that may help aid them in hiding their stigma. I found this to be true. AA believes that by members remaining anonymous it encourages new members to come to AA for help. They also want to remain anonymous to keep their “principles before personalities” (AAWS). This shows that AA is appealing for addicts because they can hide their stigma. I also found that it is appealing due to the welcoming atmosphere that the older members create for the newcomers and visitors. This is important because it shows why AA is expanding all over the world. Comment by Custer, Lindsay: This doesn’t show it is appealing for addicts for this reason. It only shows that it allows them to do so. Therefore it might be appealing to addicts. Be careful that your conclusions don’t go too far beyond your data! Comment by Custer, Lindsay: Again, I think it would be good to offer some statistics to support the claim that AA is expanding all over the world.

New paragraph There are a few limitations to the observational study. First is the Hawthorne effect. In “Think, Sociology” (2011), the Hawthorne effect is defined as “when people behave differently because they know they are part of an experiment” page #. The AA meetings have all new visitors introduce themselves, and because of this I had to tell the members who I was and why I was attending the meeting. This may have caused a Hawthorne effect. For example members might have been extra friendly, or some members might have refrained from speaking because of my presence. The second limitation would be that there were time restraints for the observations. I only had a couple weeks to observe and to really understand a culture you should be submersed in it. Another limitation is that my results may not generalize. The results that I found may not be exact due to my time restraints and what all I was able to observe. I think that that further research should be done with a longer amount of time and also observing many different areas of AA groups. I also think that further research should be done using different areas of AA groups. For example different countries to see if the beliefs are from the AA culture or if they are created by other environmental factors. Comment by Custer, Lindsay: Good.

Strong understanding of the research process overall. Good use of outside sources and course concepts. See grading rubric below.

Word Count: 2,181

References

Alcoholics Anonymous World Services. A brief guide to Alcoholics Anonymous [Brochure]. (1972). New York, NY: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services.

Carl, J. D. (2011). Think sociology. (2nd ed.). Saddle, NJ: Pearson.

Polcin, D. (2000). Professional counseling versus specialized programs for alcohol and drug abuse treatment. Journal of Addictions and Offender Counseling, 21(1).

Appendix

A. This photo is of the church’s sign that is out in front of the building. This is used to identify the church.

B. This photo is of the building and structure of the church.