Alcoholism in the working day: peculiarities of naval life

Abstract

Alcoholism among military personnel became an object of special attention in Brazilian Navy since the creation of the Center for Chemical Dependency in 1997. The present study was developed using the ethnographic method, through participant observation, in the course of 24 sessions during 2010, in two treatment groups, each consisting of around ten members. The records were made in a field diary after the group sessions. The results showed that there is an important influence of sociocultural factors in the production of their alcoholism. It was found that drinking on board is a learned tradition, considering that there are: drinking opportunities and easy access to alcoholic beverages; norms that support consumption, including in the workplace; and naval traditions that continuously and subtly disseminate beliefs and myths about the unquestionable presence of alcohol in naval life. Finally, Brazilian Navy has an ambivalent positioning that, alternately, encourages and prohibits the consumption of alcohol on board, applying administrative and punitive measures without clear criteria. In fact, modes of consuming liquor, generally in groups, are related to the performance of naval tasks, encouraging the development of alcohol addiction.