Literature Review (Blog Post #4)

 

 

 

(2)   Gladwell, Malcolm. "Annals of Anthropology: Drinking Games." (underlined) (The New     Yorker). February 15 & 22, 2010: 70-76.

(3) Gladwell discusses alcohol consumption by discussing how societies place a meaning on drunkenness. He talks about what is considered the standards for drinking and how people behave when consuming alcohol.

(4) “Malcolm Gladwell joined The New Yorker as a staff writer in 1996. He has written on a wide range of topics, including the science of cool hunting, race and sports, physical genius, the concept of moral hazard and health care, and the difference between puzzles and mysteries”(The New Yorker)

(5) Gladwell discusses how many people drink simply to socialize and that it is a part of culture. Oftentimes, people drink because others are drinking and it also helps them escape reality. It makes them look at things in a different way and it also helps relieve stress.

(6) “Alcohol disinhibits ..it gradually unlocks the set of psychological constraints that keep our behavior in check, and makes us do things that we would not ordinarily do. It’s a drug, after all” (Gladwell, p. 73).

Alcohol changes you and makes you choose to do things you wouldn’t normally do. It seems as though privatization has given a similar effect to students. Students are willing to pay more for their education because they are under the impression that they are being offered what they truly desire/need but really, they are making irrational decisions.  

“One common belief is that alcohol causes 'self- inflation.' It makes us see ourselves through rose-tinted glasses”  (Gladwell, pg. 74)

Privation seems to make students look through rose-tinted glasses. Students are seeing only what they think is what they want and failing to realize the reality of privatization. They are willing to pay so much for their education because they simply think it will be worth it and just knowing that they are securing their future seems to be enough to distract them from the financial reality of the situation.

“Alcohol is also commonly believed to reduce anxiety. That’s what a disinhibiting agent should do: relax us and make the world go away” (Gladwll, pg. 74).

Students are drawn into the idea of drinking and getting drunk because it is a stress reliever. Students don’t like to think about the reality of their situation. They are spending a fortune to attend college and want to enjoy their college experience.

(7) This source is helpful because it shows me how drinking is considered something very social.  Many people drink simply because others do. Alcohol also supposedly helps boost our self confidence. It makes us see things differently and this is why students enjoy drinking.  They want to escape reality and besides this, while some may argue that drinking is wasting the money spent towards a college education, students want to enjoy their college experience. Drinking is considered important to them and as many would say, “If I’m paying this much for college, I better enjoy it.”  Drinking helps add to the experience and it also  is a way for students to find relief from their stress.