Women's informal surveillance of alcohol consumption in intimate heterosexual relationships during the early parenting period: a caring practice

Family care practices are often associated with public health purposes and entail control. Quantitative studies consistently indicate that women play a prominent role in the informal surveillance of their partners’ alcohol consumption in intimate heterosexual relationships. This paper examines possible meanings and reasons underpinning the surveillance of drinking in the early parenting period. In doing so, we draw from the results of a study conducted in Yorkshire-UK, exploring accounts of alcohol drinking practices in women up to three years after giving birth. This is a phase of family readjustment, in which childcare is at its most time- and labour-intensive. Free Association Narrative Interviews were conducted with 21 working mothers from different background, interviewed twice about daily routines and drinking practices. Narrative and thematic content analysis cast light on the gendered aspects of surveillance of alcohol consumption. Participants described seeking to set boundaries around what was considered an acceptable level of consumption. Women’s attempts at surveillance were generally articulated in non-confrontational language. However, women expressed disappointment that partners’ drinking activities were associated with an unequal distribution of domestic responsibilities. Through informal surveillance of drinking, we argue, women performed actions of care and health-risk management within the family. Most importantly, informal surveillance appeared to be a strategy to negotiate a fairer allocation of household labour, and greater equity between the partners. Findings demonstrates how inequalities in power permeate intimate relationships, reaffirming women’s traditional role in regulating drinking. Drinking practices provide valuable insights into how gender and caring operate in the intimacy sphere.