Does alcohol have a gender? By carrying out an empirical survey in the editorial office of 20 minutesrespondents associated pure whiskey and rum with the masculine gender, sweet alcoholic products, such as the Cosmopolitan cocktail popularized by the series Sex in the City, in the feminine gender… No, our original podcast “Minute Papillon! » will not promote the consumption of alcohol in this new episode, but rather question our society, its representations of the feminine and masculine genders, and the place of alcohol.
For this discussion, to listen to in the audio player above, we met sociologist Ludovic Gaussot, teacher-researcher at the University of Poitiers, specializing in gender and social gender relations, but also on alcohol, alcoholism and alcoholism. A casual, improvised conversation in which he specifies that certain things can be simplified or generalized in order to deliver something that makes sense. This precaution stated, we left with this question: Is this a view of the mind, or is there a reality between the association of alcohols and gender?
Evolution of society and representation of female drinkers
Strong, bitter, smoky tastes in alcohol are more associated with the masculine gender, and sweet tastes with the feminine gender. What do these tastes reveal in our society, and about male-female relationships in it? Have women started drinking beer recently, or is it more a representation of blonde drinkers that has evolved? And besides, how can we explain recent developments regarding alcohol consumption by women? Could this be the result of marketing strategies by companies selling alcohol, or more broadly a liberalization of society? To all these questions, answers from the sociologist Ludovic Gaussot, who notably invokes the sociologists Françoise Héritier and Pierre Bourdieu. Good listening !
A reminder before resuming your activities. Don’t force anyone, including yourself, to drink alcohol. And if you do, remember to do it in moderation.