87
Views
15
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Original Article

World Views of Alcoholics Anonymous, Women for Sobriety, and Adult Children of Alcoholics/ Al-Anon Mutual Help Groups

&
Pages 231-243 | Published online: 11 Jul 2009
 

Abstract

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Women For Sobriety (WFS), and Al-Anon affiliated Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACoA/Al-Anon) mutual help groups each have different world views/philosophies regarding how to deal with alcohol-related problems. As members learn the world view of their mutual help organization, their perceptions are altered in multiple life domains. AA's world view emphasizes that members' self-centeredness causes suffering and should be overcome through surrender to a spiritual higher power. In contrast, WFS endorses the idea that individuals should be self-reliant and solve their problems through willpower and rational analysis. ACoA/Al-Anon represents a philosophical middle ground between AA and WFS, limiting members' sense of their own worth and importance in some respects and enhancing it in others. We discuss the bases of the three organizations' world views in various philosophical traditions and analyze their implications for organizational functioning. We also evaluate Antze's (1979) hypothesis that world views serve as a “cognitive antidote” for mutual help group members' problems.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.