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Student perceptions of alcohol policy education and enforcement in the residence halls at a large state university: A study of environmental press
Abstract
This qualitative study investigated how alcohol policy education and enforcement influenced student drinking behavior and norms at a large state university. Data collection consisted of semi-structured, in-depth interviews with sixteen traditional-age freshmen and sophomores who lived in two different campus residential areas. One purpose of this study was to gain insight into the actual drinking practices of students who reside in campus residence halls while another focus was to determine how policy education and enforcement influenced students' decisions to drink. The study participants, who served as "informants" for the purpose of the research, were also asked how they made sense of the situation. The findings suggest emergent themes related to the high incidence of student drinking in the residence halls, the lack of University-sponsored education and enforcement of the alcohol policy, and the manner in which the students' developmental stage influenced their drinking behaviors. In their observations, students talked about a "If we don't see it, hear it, or smell it" enforcement policy and openly criticized the University for its hypocritical stance. Students also revealed strong feelings of disappointment and remorse because their residence hall drinking had negatively impacted their academic standings and their overall well-being. The data suggest that the lack of policy education and enforcement creates an environmental press that encourages student drinking and actually impedes student development. The study concludes with a discussion of the implications of the findings and suggestions for future research.
Subject Area
Higher education|Educational sociology|Public health|Behaviorial sciences|Health education
Recommended Citation
Whitcomb, Sandra J, "Student perceptions of alcohol policy education and enforcement in the residence halls at a large state university: A study of environmental press" (1998). Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest. AAI9841931.
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI9841931