Addiction Research & Therapy

An innovative study conducted at the Center for Chemical Dependency of the Brazilian Navy, through an ethnographic study and participant observation, examined the infl uence of this institution in the construction of patients’ alcoholism.Cross-cultural issues must be taken into account in order to understand better certain drinking patterns in the workplace. For that, it is believed that a socio-anthropological eye on alcoholism was relevant, since it unveiled one of the main findings of this research: the alcoholic habitus. It refers to internalized patterns of behaviors, attitudes, and thoughts associated to ways of drinking, mainly collectively. Drinking on board is a learned naval tradition, disseminated by beliefs and myths in favor of alcoholic beverages during the working journey. Th e results motivate the application of protective procedures on behalf of the servicemen and the organization.