10.2190/4A25-MBXK-81UX-JLVA 4A25MBXK81UXJLVA 271 GENDER DIFFERENCES IN GAMBLERS ANONYMOUS 271 280 20060201 20060201 20060201 20060201 4A25MBXK81UXJLVA.pdf http://baywood.metapress.com/link.asp?target=contribution&id=4A25MBXK81UXJLVA 4 PETER FERENTZY WAYNE SKINNER PAUL ANTZE Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto York University, Toronto Gamblers Anonymous (GA) has earned a reputation in the literature as a fellowship with very few women and as host to a recovery culture that marginalizes women's needs and concerns. A notable example would be the preponderance of "war stories"--recovery jargon for graphic and often disturbing accounts of one's life in active addiction--said to alienate many women. However, a 16-month study of GA in the Toronto area has found that this mutual aid organization has changed significantly over the last 10 to 15 years. The number of women in the Toronto area now stands at possibly 20% and rising, war stories no longer predominate, and other changes amenable to women have also taken place. There is good reason to believe that these shifts in GA's recovery culture have not been limited to Toronto. Still, this was a preliminary study, and these findings call for detailed quantitative verification. Lesieur, H. R. (1990). Working with and understanding Gamblers Anonymous. In T. J. Powell (Ed.), Working with self-help (pp. 237-253). Silver Spring, MD: NASW Press. Glaser, B. G. (1978). Theoretical sensitivity. Mill Valley, CA: Sociology Press. Lesieur, H. R. (1988). The female pathological gambler. In W. R. Eadington (Ed.), Gambling research: Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference on Gambling and Risk Taking (Vol. 5, pp. 230-258). Reno: University of Nevada. Ferentzy, P., & Skinner W. (2003). Gamblers Anonymous: A critical review of the literature. Electronic Journal of Gambling Issues. No. 9. http://www.camh.net/egambling/archive/pdf/EJGI-Issue9/EJGI-Issue9-res-ferentzy.pdf Strachan, M. L., & Custer, R. L. (1993). Female compulsive gamblers in Las Vegas. In W. R. Eadington & J. A. Cornelius (Eds.), Gambling behavior and problem gambling (pp. 235-239). Reno: University of Nevada. Mark, M. E., & Lesieur, H. R. (1992). A feminist critique of problem gambling research. British Journal of Addiction, 87, 549-565. McAleavy, T. (1995, September 10). More women among problem gamblers. The Bergen Record, p. H3. Murray, R. D. (Ed.). (2001). Helping the problem gambler. Toronto: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Spunt, B., Dupont, I., Lesieur, H. R., Liberty, H. J., & Hunt, D. (1998). Pathological gambling and substance misuse: A review of the literature. Substance Use & Misuse, 33(13), 2535-2560. Volberg, R. A. (1994). The prevalence and demographics of pathological gamblers: Implications for public health. American Journal of Public Health, 84, 237-241. Gamblers Anonymous International Service Office (GAISO). (1999). Gamblers Anonymous. Los Angeles: GAISO. Custer, R. (1982). Gambling and addiction. In R. J. Craig & S. L. Baker (Eds.), Drug dependent patients: Treatment and research (pp. 367-381). Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas. Browne, B. R. (1994). Really not God: Secularization and pragmatism in Gamblers Anonymous. Journal of Gambling Studies, 10(3), 247-260. Crisp, B. R., Thomas, S. A., Jackson, A. C., Thomason, N., Smith, S., Borrell, J., Ho, W., & Holt, T. A. (2000). Sex differences in the treatment needs and outcomes of problem gamblers. Research on Social Work Practice, 10(2), 229-242. Browne, B. R. (1991). The selective adaptation of the Alcoholics Anonymous program by Gamblers Anonymous. Journal of Gambling Studies, 7(3), 187-206. Volberg, R. A., & Steadman, H. J. (1989). Prevalence estimates of pathological gambling in New Jersey and Maryland. American Journal of Psychiatry, 146, 1618-1619.