Chunk #21 — Explanations for Lower Alcohol Use among African Americans Compared to European Americans — Historical Perspective — Cultural Norms and Attitudes towards Alcohol
Differences in cultural norms about alcohol use between African Americans and the dominant culture continue in present day society. Cultural norms can be understood to include both situational norms and attitudes. Situational norms have been defined as shared cultural beliefs about appropriate levels of behavior in specific contexts (e.g., Caetano & Clark, 1999; Greenfield & Room, 1997). In contrast, attitudes about drinking are general beliefs about drinking and how one personally evaluates the appropriateness of the behavior (e.g., Caetano & Clark, 1999; Fiske & Taylor, 1991). As has been true historically, for African Americans there continue to be relatively conservative norms for drinking across situations today, as well as relatively conservative attitudes toward consumption.
