Alcoholics Anonymous Discourse and Members' Resistance in a Virtual Community: Exploring Tensions between Theory and Practice

Kitchin, Heather A.

doi:10.1177/009145090202900405

Cited by 15 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) of people in long-term AA recovery has found that participants tended to knowingly use the AA programme to help them in their pursuit of self-formation towards various ethical ideals (Medina, 2014;Shinebourne and Smith, 2011). Foucauldian studies involving actual members of AA found that AA discourse was drawn on pragmatically and often in ways that, far from reflecting indoctrination, reflected agency in the subversion of core AA tenets (Kitchin, 2002;Valverde and White-Mair, 1999).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Surrender to win: Constructions of 12-step recovery from alcoholism and drug addiction

Gordon

Willig

2020

Health (London)

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This is the accepted version of the paper.This version of the publication may differ from the final published version.Permanent repository link: https://openaccess.city.ac.uk/id/eprint/23583/ Link to published version: http://dx. AbstractThis article focuses on the ways in which members of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) construct themselves as being in recovery from addiction. In this original study, data were taken from nineteen participants. They were analysed using Willig's (2013) six-stage Foucauldian discourse analytic method. This method is suited to enabling the analyst to locate discourse resources used by participants within broader, dominant, discourses, and for exploration of the implications of these constructions for subjectivity and practice. This article presents a discussion of analytic findings.Mainstream academia has often constructed 12-Step recovery as a largely totalising discourse. This is likely to have negatively prejudiced health professionals and may help explain relatively low referral rates into 12-Step resources for addicted clients.However, our analysis suggested that participants constructed themselves not as subjected by AA and NA discourse, but as drawing on it in ways aligned with agency, in order to practice care of the self in pursuit of various ethical goals. This implies 12-Step recovery to be less antithetical to, and indeed more aligned with, humanistic practitioner values than is perhaps often assumed to be the case. This 3 3 finding suggests that practitioners may need to consider reappraising their view of 12-Step recovery. The discussion will therefore focus on the agency-structure dialectic that seemed to be at the heart of participant constructions of addiction and recovery. It is also is a finding which points to an urgent need for more qualitative studies in the currently under-researched, and hence perhaps poorly understood, area of 12-Step recovery from addiction.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Surrender to win: Constructions of 12-step recovery from alcoholism and drug addiction

Gordon

Willig

2020

Health (London)

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“…Although AA originated in the United States in an overtly religious sociohistorical context, it is found equally effective when practiced in less religious populations (Gossop et al, 2005), but researchers have suggested it may work through a different mechanism within less religious cultures (Kelly et al, 2011). Both AA and Step by Step enable people to become helpers, but in AA, the spiritual component of the vision that enables becoming a helper (Kelly et al, 2011) is also reported to be stigma barrier (Kitchin, 2002). The Step by Step emphasis on internal control is less easily misconstrued, and practical support replaces spirituality.…”

Section: Overcoming Stigma and Giving Practical Support Facilitate Emmentioning

confidence: 99%

Practical Support Facilitates Recovery Processes in Professionally Organized Addiction Self-Help: An Explanatory Case Study

Johansen

Ness

Wennesland

2015

Journal of Groups in Addiction & Recovery

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Understanding how a self-help program with a positive psychology focus and professional leaders influences change is important to guide support programs. We used a qualitative, explanatory, organizational case study including method and source triangulation to describe and explain leadership mechanisms supporting recovery. Horizontal leadership processes included overcoming stigma and becoming a helper, and vertical processes included internalized willingness to lead, vision formation, pride and professionalization, continuity and accessibility, and flexible leadership. Resource-focused and professionally led self-help is likely compatible and complementary to 12-step programs, as it integrates peer support and collaborative leadership with the best of professional programs, including sober leadership.

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“…AA focuses on the control of alcoholism as a disease (Wright, 1997 Kitchin, 2002;VanLear, Sheehan, Withers, & Walker, 2005). Participants are encouraged to admit their alcoholism, find a sponsor in the group, and work through specific steps toward sobriety (Davison, Pennebaker, & Dickerson, 2000).…”

Section: Alcoholics Anonymous (Aa)mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Influences of Optimal Matching and Social Capital on Communicating Support

Green-Hamann

Sherblom

2014

Journal of Health Communication

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The optimal matching and social capital perspectives frame present research expectations and interpretations of the network, esteem, informational, and emotional support communication of 3 computer-mediated communication social support groups, each having a different health-promoting purpose. Past research has shown differences in the support communication provided by different groups but has offered little explanation for these differences. The present study uses a comparative analysis of optimal matching and social capital influences to compare and analyze differences in the support communication provided by Alcoholics Anonymous, cancer caregivers, and transgender identity support groups. Results show different patterns of support communication enacted in each. These results provide support for optimal matching and social capital predictions, indicating that the life stressor and group structure affect the social support provided. However, results also demonstrate a need for greater refinement in interpreting the effects of these influences. Each group communicates network, esteem, informational, and emotional support somewhat differently in response to the life stressor and in enacting bridging and bonding social capital. The present comparisons provide a fuller analysis of the optimal matching and social capital influences upon the support communicated in groups than afforded by past research studies and suggests research opportunities for future research.

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Alcoholics Anonymous Discourse and Members' Resistance in a Virtual Community: Exploring Tensions between Theory and Practice

Cited by 15 publications

References 36 publications

Surrender to win: Constructions of 12-step recovery from alcoholism and drug addiction

Surrender to win: Constructions of 12-step recovery from alcoholism and drug addiction

Practical Support Facilitates Recovery Processes in Professionally Organized Addiction Self-Help: An Explanatory Case Study

The Influences of Optimal Matching and Social Capital on Communicating Support

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