U.S. Navy culture and workplace leads to heavy drinking Study in the Journal of Mixed Methods Research

Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore and Washington DC (June 9, 2009) The nature of the U.S. Navy workplace leads to higher heavy drinking for sailors than for civilians, according to an article in the May issue of the Journal of Mixed Methods Research published by SAGE. 

Several issues specific to the Navy contribute to problem drinking, according to the study, including the youth of recruits, alternating periods of exertion and boredom, and a culture that emphasizes drinking as a mechanism for bonding, recreation, and stress relief. These conclusions were reached using methods that included a statistical analysis of survey data as well as an analysis of interviews and observations on bases, ships and submarines.

In addition to presenting the results of the study, the authors also use it to make observations about the use of mixed methods in conducting this type of research. Methodologically, the study design drew from approaches associated with social psychology, public health, and anthropology, reflecting the disciplines of research team members.

“A second purpose of the article is methodological in scope,” the authors write. We sought “to use the study findings as a springboard for discussing the challenges and opportunities in carrying out collaborative mixed method research among this population.”

Mixed methods is a fairly new research method where the investigator collects data and draws inferences using both qualitative and quantitative approaches.

SAGE is the world’s largest research methods publisher, with more than 1,200 books, journals and reference works supporting every stage of a researcher’s career. It has been at the forefront of developing new approaches in methods including in evaluation, qualitative methods and mixed methods.

“The Impact of Occupational Culture on Drinking Behavior of Young Adults in the U.S. Navy” by Genevieve M. Ames, Michael R. Duke, Roland S. Moore and Carol B. Cunradi is available free of charge for a limited time at http://mmr.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/3/2/129.

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The Journal of Mixed Methods Research (JMMR) is an innovative, quarterly, international publication that focuses on empirical, methodological, and theoretical articles about mixed methods research across the social, behavioral, health, and human sciences. http://mmr.sagepub.com

  SAGE is a leading international publisher of journals, books, and electronic media for academic, educational, and professional markets. Since 1965, SAGE has helped inform and educate a global community of scholars, practitioners, researchers, and students spanning a wide range of subject areas including business, humanities, social sciences, and science, technology and medicine. An independent company, SAGE has principal offices in Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore and Washington DC. www.sagepublications.com

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