Sociologija konzumacije alkohola – u potrazi za teorijom

Alcohol consumption takes place in society and because of society. The “social” aspect of this phenomenon gives a meaning that manifests itself in the framework of interaction. This paper discusses basic problems of previous sociological approaches to alcohol consumption: (1) focus on a problem-oriented approach – drinking and alcoholism, (2) abstract empiricism of alcohol consumption, and (3) unclear theoretical background for a sociological approach to alcohol consumption. Focusing exclusively on alcoholism or excessive drinking neglects a number of social dimensions inherent in alcohol consumption. Therefore, when considering this phenomenon in sociological terms, clear theoretical-methodological starting points should be established in order to understand the social consumption of alcohol. The main objective of this paper was to provide a basic paradigmatic and epistemological framework for the development of a sociology of alcohol consumption. The paper starts from the assumption that two theoretical-methodological principles should be considered: methodological individualism and methodological situationism. Each of these approaches has certain advantages and disadvantages, but in further conceptualising the paradigmatic foundations of the sociology of alcohol consumption, the paper proposed a two-level approach, that is, a synthesis of methodological situationism and methodological individualism. However, this synthesis does not constitute a theory of the sociology of alcohol consumption, but a framework for a sociological approach to the phenomenon, as well as the possibility of overcoming the problems presented in the sociological analysis of this topic.Konzumacija alkohola događa se u društvu i zbog društva. Društveni kontekst tom fenomenu daje smislenost koja se manifestira u okvirima interakcije. U ovome radu razmotreni su osnovni problemi u dosadašnjim sociološkim pristupima konzumaciji alkohola: (1) fokusiranost na problematično pijenje i alkoholizam, (2) apstraktni empirizam konzumacije alkohola i (3) nejasna teorijska podloga za sociološko bavljenje konzumacijom alkohola. Fokusom isključivo na alkoholizam ili pak ekscesivno pijenje zapostavlja se niz društvenih dimenzija koje konzumacija alkohola uključuje. Stoga, u sociološkom promišljanju tog fenomena valja odrediti jasna teorijsko-metodološka polazišta kojima bi se razumjela društvenost konzumacije alkohola. Osnovni cilj ovoga rada bio je pružiti osnovne paradigmatske i epistemološke okvire za razvoj sociologije konzumacije alkohola. Rad polazi od pretpostavke da za razumijevanje samoga fenomena valja u obzir uzeti dva teorijsko-metodološka načela: metodološki individualizam i metodološki situacionizam. Svaki od tih pristupa karakteriziraju određene prednosti i mane, no u daljnjoj konceptualizaciji paradigmatskih osnova sociologije konzumacije alkohola (u ovome radu) predlaže se dvoetapni pristup, odnosno sinteza metodološkog situacionizma i metodološkog individualizma. Ta sinteza, ipak, ne predstavlja teoriju društvenosti konzumacije alkohola, ali daje okvire sociološkog pristupa fenomenu kao i mogućnost nadilaženja predstavljenih problema u okvirima sociološkog bavljenja tom temom