Perceptions of gambling in households – a case study from Norway

Abstract

Drawing on a qualitative study of Norwegian households (couples and singles) with and without reported gambling problems, this article explores how household members perceive their own gambling. The research indicates that different households subscribe to different views of gambling. Whereas households without any reported gambling problems perceived gambling according to the market view, which suggests that gambling is like any other product on the market, households with reported gambling problems articulated views corresponding with a medical view, according to which gambling is seen as a dangerous realm of addiction. Religious views were also articulated, although they were less pronounced. Implications for the understanding of risk and help-seeking behaviour are discussed.

• Perceptions of gambling
• households
• Norway
• Michel Foucault

Notes

Notes

1. For a more detailed description of the technical construction of perceptions, see Borch (forthcoming1).

2. An exception was made by the previously quoted Per who said that he would start smoking cannabis when he was 70 because he had started to gamble when he was 60. By making a causal link between his problem gambling and his potential cannabis smoking, he made fun of the association between them.