Project Grant R01AA030253

INTOXICATED SEXUAL ENCOUNTERS: ALCOHOL, SEXUAL SCRIPTS AND CONSENT AMONG YOUNG ADULTS - 7. PROJECT SUMMARY THE AIMS OF THIS 36 MONTH QUALITATIVE RESEARCH PROJECT ARE AS FOLLOWS: A) IDENTIFY GENDERED DIFFERENCES IN THE MEANINGS AND ROLES OF INTOXICATION WITHIN SEXUAL ENCOUNTERS; B) EXPLORE THE EXTENT TO WHICH DIFFERENT DRINKING CONTEXTS, AND NORMATIVE CULTURES THAT OPERATE WITHIN THEM, INFLUENCE SEXUAL ENCOUNTERS; C) EXAMINE THE WAYS IN WHICH SOCIAL STRUCTURAL INEQUITIES, SUCH AS GENDERED POWER RELATIONS, INFLUENCE THE MEANINGS AND OUTCOMES OF INTOXICATED SEXUAL ENCOUNTERS; D) PRODUCE PRACTICE-BASED EVIDENCE, INFORMED BY A SYSTEMATIC CONSTITUTIVE ANALYSIS OF QUALITATIVE NARRATIVE DATA, THAT CAN INFORM PROMISING INNOVATIONS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SEXUAL VICTIMIZATION PREVENTION AND EDUCATION INITIATIVES. THIS EVIDENCE CAN ALSO PROVIDE IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR THE FORMULATION OF NEW GUIDELINES AND PRACTICES FOR THE OPERATION OF NIGHTLIFE ESTABLISHMENTS. ALTHOUGH CONCERN ABOUT SEXUAL VIOLENCE, VICTIMIZATION AND HARASSMENT HAS INCREASED, MUCH OF THE RECENT ATTENTION HAS BEEN TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES WITHIN THE WORKPLACE. HENCE, MUCH LESS FOCUS HAS BEEN DIRECTED TOWARDS ADDRESSING THESE ISSUES IN DRINKING SETTINGS. THIS IS IN SPITE OF THE EXTENSIVE RESEARCH THAT HAS IDENTIFIED THE ROLE OF ALCOHOL AS A MAJOR CONTRIBUTORY FACTOR IN SEXUALLY VIOLENT AND AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIORS. HOWEVER, WHILE EPIDEMIOLOGICAL AND SURVEY RESEARCH ON INTOXICATION AND SEXUAL ENCOUNTERS HAS BEEN IMPORTANT, LIMITATIONS WITH THIS RESEARCH NEED TO BE ADDRESSED. FURTHERMORE, WHILE SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH ON CONTEMPORARY SEXUAL ENCOUNTERS AND SEXUAL CONSENT HAS INCREASED, ESPECIALLY AMONG YOUNG ADULTS, MUCH LESS RESEARCH HAS EXAMINED THE SOCIAL DIMENSIONS OF INTOXICATION IN THE CONTEXT OF SEXUAL ENCOUNTERS. CONSEQUENTLY, WE WILL ADOPT AN ALTERNATIVE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK COMBINING INSIGHTS FROM EXISTING SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH TO EMPHASIZE BOTH THE SOCIO-CONTEXTUAL AND STRUCTURAL ASPECTS OF INTOXICATED SEXUAL ENCOUNTERS. ADDITIONALLY, THIS PROPOSED PROJECT CONSIDERS THESE ISSUES AMONG DIVERSE GROUPS OF YOUNG ADULTS, NOT ONLY THOSE ENROLLED IN COLLEGE, WHO HAVE BEEN THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF EXISTING RESEARCH ON SEXUAL ENCOUNTERS. BY COMBINING THEORIES FROM SEVERAL FIELDS AND RESEARCH TRADITIONS, WE CAN EXPAND THE CURRENT STATE OF UNDERSTANDING OF THE MEANINGS, PROCESSES, AND IMPLICATIONS OF INTOXICATED SEXUAL ENCOUNTERS FOR YOUNG ADULTS. OUR PROPOSED PROJECT WILL EXAMINE THE FOLLOWING THREE RESEARCH QUESTIONS: 1. HOW DO YOUNG ADULTS UNDERSTAND AND CONCEPTUALIZE THE ROLE OF INTOXICATION IN SHAPING SEXUAL ENCOUNTERS, CONSENT AND VICTIMIZATION? 2. TO WHAT EXTENT DO DIFFERENT INTOXICATION SETTINGS, SUCH AS BARS, CLUBS AND PARTIES, INFLUENCE THE PROCESSES OF SEXUAL ENCOUNTERS, CONSENT, AND VICTIMIZATION? 3. HOW DO SOCIO-STRUCTURAL FACTORS (CULTURAL SCRIPTS OF SEXUALITY AND GENDERED INTOXICATION, GENDERED POWER RELATIONS, GENDER INEQUITIES) INFLUENCE THE PROCESSES INVOLVED IN INTOXICATED SEXUAL ENCOUNTERS? IN ORDER TO EXAMINE THESE ISSUES, WE WILL CONDUCT IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS WITH 200 YOUNG ADULTS USING A QUALITATIVE INTERVIEW SCHEDULE, WHICH INCLUDES A CLOSED-ENDED SURVEY, DETAILED OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS, AND INNOVATIVE QUALITATIVE ELICITATION TECHNIQUES. WE WILL DISSEMINATE FINDINGS THROUGH A PROJECT WEBSITE (CRITICALPUBLICHEALTH.ORG) THAT INCLUDES AN ACCESSIBLE PRESENTATION OF STUDY FINDINGS AND A SOCIAL MEDIA FORUM TO SOLICIT FEEDBACK FROM STUDY PARTICIPANTS AND PEOPLE CONCERNED ABOUT ALCOHOL-RELATED PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH INTOXICATED SEXUAL ENCOUNTERS.