Journal article
‘The Way of Abstinence’: Stigma and Spirituality in Danshukai, a Japanese Self-help Organisation for Alcoholics
R Chenhall, T Oka
Japanese Studies | ROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD | Published : 2016
Abstract
ABSTRACT: Stigma associated with alcoholism is common in Japan, and individuals who suffer from alcoholism often feel that it is a taboo to discuss their problems with alcohol in the general public. This paper describes the way in which the self-help group called Danshukai offers a model for recovery for people suffering from alcoholism in Japan. Since 2006, the authors have been involved in various meetings and conducted conversational and semi-structured interviews with leaders and rank-and-file members of Danshukai. In Danshukai, recovery is viewed as a spiritual process offering the potential for a new life compared to models offered by medical treatment that place little emphasis on the..
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Awarded by Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
Funding Acknowledgements
This paper is a fully revised version of T. Oka and R. Chenhall, 'Danshu-do [The Way of Abstinence]: Reincorporating Spirituality into a Japanese Self-help Organization for Alcoholics', poster presented at 14th SCRA (Society for Community Research and Action) Biennial Conference, the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida, 26-29 June 2013. We would like to thank Danshukai leaders and members for welcoming us into various meetings and events. Oka was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C) # 23530756 from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.