Abstract

HALPERN, Elizabeth Espindola  and  LEITE, Ligia Maria Costa. Deciphering the meanings of navy ethylic behaviors of military patients. Bol. psicol [online]. 2011, vol.61, n.135, pp. 177-191. ISSN 0006-5943.

Alcoholism in the army became a matter of special attention in the Brazilian Navy since the creation of the Center for Chemical Dependency (CEDEQ) in 1997, when it began to be seen as a major problem in to the military life. The objective of this article was to understand the meanings of the navy ethylic behaviors of military patients of CEDEQ, particularly those related to daily labor. In addition, the factors which determine the intitution's change of perspective about drinking: from tradition to deviance. The ethnographic method was applied using participant observation in two therapeutic groups, each consisting of about ten members, during a period of four years. The results indicated that the alcoholism of these militaries and their ethylic behaviors have a significant social-cultural meaning that points to the existence of deeper issues into the organization, an institutional symptom that reveals the presence of tensions in power relations.

Keywords : Alcoholism; military Personnel; culture.

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