Twelve Step Programs: A Contemporary American Quest for Meaning and Spiritual Renewal [Hardcover]

Ann Marie Minnick (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 30, 1997 | ISBN-10: 0275958507 | ISBN-13: 978-0275958503

Twelve Step Programs are significant features in the American landscape. Their popularity compels us to take them seriously. This book studies one such program, Al-Anon, which was founded in 1951 by wives of alcoholics who were struggling with the effects of alcoholism on themselves and their families. In the 1990s its scope was broadened to include husbands, grown children, lovers, friends, and anyone else affected by another's drinking or chemical use. This study used an ethnographic approach: it reveals that Al-Anon and similar groups act as sites of spiritual renewal and moral reconstruction for primarily white, middle-class, middle-aged, Protestant Americans who report experiencing a crisis of identity. Investigating Twelve Step Programs lends further insight into the cultural crisis affecting many Americans as well as the strategies some have found to make sense of their lives.

Editorial Reviews

Book Description

An ethnographic study of Twelve Step Programs and their effect on American society.

About the Author

ANN MARIE MINNICK is currently the director of Academic and Student Affairs at James Madison College in Michigan.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Praeger (November 30, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0275958507
• ISBN-13: 978-0275958503
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,599,880 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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