The role of women in Alcoholics Anonymous: is it reflective of the role of women in society?

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the differences in men's and women's experiences and perceptions regarding women's roles in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). A secondary purpose was to examine if women's role(s) in AA are reflective of the role(s) of women in society. Due to the lack of relevant literature regarding women in AA, a qualitative study was conducted. The study examined three areas of the respondents' life experiences: present demographic data, drinking history, and their perceptions of the role(s) of women in AA. Twenty respondents, ten males and ten females were selected through a snowball sample. In order to participate in the study, the respondent must have had two years of sobriety in AA. A semi-structured interview research design was utilized. The major assumption of this study was that the roles of women in AA would be similar to the roles of women in the larger society. The themes that emerged from the study were: 1. Both male and female respondents stated that there were no differences in the defined role(s) of men and women in AA. 2. Both male and female respondents acknowledged that patriarchy including sexual harassment occurs in the treatment of women in AA. 3. Both male and female respondents acknowledged that the patriarchy could lead to women relapsing. 4. Women in AA who had more than two years of sobriety identified coping strategies to deal with the patriarchy of the organization. Both male and female respondents stated that AA had helped them to develop methods in which to achieve and maintain sobriety which was their primary goal. Yet, they also acknowledged that patriarchy existed and that women were treated unfairly at times in AA. In addition, there was agreement among the respondents that the patriarchal treatment of women could be a catalyst for relapse.