{"id":6218,"date":"2020-12-14T14:08:18","date_gmt":"2020-12-14T14:08:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.bham.ac.uk\/business-school\/?p=6218"},"modified":"2020-12-14T14:08:18","modified_gmt":"2020-12-14T14:08:18","slug":"does-it-really-matter-if-you-dont-drink-alcohol-at-christmas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.bham.ac.uk\/business-school\/2020\/12\/14\/does-it-really-matter-if-you-dont-drink-alcohol-at-christmas\/","title":{"rendered":"Does it really matter if you don\u2019t drink alcohol at Christmas?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

By Professor Isabelle Szmigin
\n<\/strong>Department of Marketing, University of Birmingham<\/p>\n

Firstly, let me say that I cannot answer the question as I do drink alcohol. I do, however, live with someone who has not had an alcoholic drink for over 30 years, so I have some vicarious understanding of one person\u2019s view. But in a way that is the problem; I, like many others, only have a few experiences of non-drinkers rather than the lots of experiences I have of drinkers. But just as I wouldn\u2019t identify my drinking friends by their alcohol consumption, why should I do the same for those who choose not to drink?<\/p>\n

Why is drinking alcohol apparently such a central part of having fun at Christmas? At this time of year where there is a strong and ever-present exhortation to purchase alcohol for the Christmas celebrations, it is worth thinking a little more about those who choose not to drink alcohol.<\/p>\n

Identity and alcohol consumption is an important issue. For years non-drinkers have been labelled, – dry, on the wagon, teetotal, temperance advocate, sober \u2013 all terms used to identify someone who does not drink alcohol. While social media influencers are giving a voice to being described as sober, shouldn\u2019t we look to a time when we don\u2019t need any terms to describe people who choose not to drink alcohol, because for most people your identity is not defined by whether you drink or not.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a long time since the temperance movement, which began in the 18th<\/sup> century, built an identity around abstinence as a virtue but there were practical reasons for the movement, namely the need for sober machine workers at the start of the industrial revolution following a time when alcohol was freely consumed at all times of day (Blocker , 1989). But moving to the present day, do people who don\u2019t drink want to be labelled and identified as non-drinkers? Some do and some don\u2019t, there are perhaps advantages for both.<\/p>\n

If you google \u2018sober at Christmas\u2019 you will find over 37 million hits, most of them are aimed at people who want to curb their excessive alcohol consumption, but what about the others that just don\u2019t drink alcohol. They don\u2019t all want to be identified as \u2018non-drinkers\u2019, rather many just want a place and space where they can be part of a social group without worrying about whether or not they are drinking alcohol and recently this has become a more normal phenomenon<\/a>.<\/p>\n

So this is a plea for recognising that there are many ways to enjoy the festive season and remembering that those who have fun without alcohol, don\u2019t need to be labelled or made to feel that they have to make an excuse for themselves. Let\u2019s embrace the many and different ways we appreciate this time of year.<\/p>\n

Blocker, J. S. (1989) American Temperance Movements: Cycles of Reform. Twayne Publishers<\/em><\/p>\n

\n