Conceptions of alcoholism among Koreans and Americans

Ethnographic research has occasionally reported the presence (or absence) of the disease concept of alcoholism in non-Western cultures. But the problem of differences in the nature of the concept of alcoholism between cultures in which it exists has not been seriously investigated. This study contrasts beliefs about alcoholism among samples of Koreans and Americans at a university in the United States. The findings suggest that the concept of alcoholism is present in both cultures, but Koreans tend to restrict their disease to the physiological consequences of long-term alcohol use, while Americans accept a definition which is couched largely in social and behavioral terms. It thus appears that, in contrast to America, alcohol consumption in Korea is relatively high, but alcoholism is rare. The implications of these findings for drinking behaviors, and the diagnosis and treatment of alcoholism, are discussed.