ciological theories--holding that societal conditions lead some individuals into alcoholism (Jenkins, 1990, pp. 331-336). All of these theories have some degree of validity. Some of the theories apply to some individuals in some circumstances, while they do not apply to other individuals or even to the same individuals in other circumstances (Pardeck, 1991, pp. 341-347). Further, a multiplicity of causes is required to explain the development of alcoholism by some individuals (Engs, 1990, pp. 452-547).
The consumption of alcohol is widely linked in American society with highly valued social attributes (Grube, 1993, pp. 61-66). Perceptions of the expected behaviors of individuals consuming alcohol tend to vary according to the gender of the individual whose behaviors are subjected to speculation (Blume, 1991, p. 139). Much of the general perception of expected behavior related to the consumption of alcohol conflicts with actual outcomes (George & Norris, 1991, pp. 133-138). The divergence of actual behaviors and expected behaviors frequently contributes to the development of undesirable social outcomes (Garcia & Kushnier, 1987, pp. 252-256).
The desire to escape responsibility is also an integral component of theories developed by Rotter and others in the 1960s and the 1970s, which hold that psychological locus of control is closely related to the development of chemical substance abuse (Alexander, pp. 527-532). In these studies, it was found that those individuals with an external locus of control are more prone to chemical substance abuse than are individuals with an internal locus of control. In this same context, it was found among young people that the emergence of psychological autonomy is indicated by a strong relationship of self-standards to problem behavior. In the development of standards for chemical substance use, young people tend to experience problems only in relation to the perceived norms of their close f...