[14
MAR 00] COVENTRY UNIVERSITY PRESS RELEASE
Research Shows That Coventry Girls 'Just Wanna Have Fun'Research conducted by Coventry University Communication, Culture and
Media students into the social habits of the young women of Coventry, confirms the
recently published findings of the Office of National Statistics' General Household
Survey.
The Government survey found that nationally there was a
growing culture of independent women who drink more and go out regularly - and research
conducted by Coventry University students shows that the women of Coventry are no
different.
The researchers, Stephen Brookes, Heather Whitbread, Pietro
Lo Guidice and Nisar Hussein, found that drinks manufacturers were recognising the
increased spending power of young women and their growing tendency to socialise - and
targeting them accordingly.
Drinks manufacturers seem to be seizing the new
opportunities for the sale of bottled 'designer' beers and drinks which are particularly
popular with women.
But it is not just about drinking expensive beers.
"It is about power and showing it in ways that men
have done traditionally, by propping up the bar and engaging in the conspicuous
consumption of alcohol"
said Stephen Brookes.
Groups of young women often make up the highest proportion
of customers in Coventry's city centre - especially with the advent of new 'female
friendly' bars in the City.
"Changing ideas about what is acceptable for males and
females has more than a cultural dimension, it is also about economics, for example the
growing financial independence of young women with good salaries and career prospects.
Economics generally underpins every shift in the battle of the sexes"
comments Dr Ruth Cherrington, who has supervised the
students' research.
"As more 'female friendly' drinking places open in the
city, young women may increasingly outnumber their male counterparts. The negative effects
may be more drink-related problems among women - but at the moment it
seems that Coventry girls 'just wanna have fun!'"
concluded Dr Cherrington.
MORE INFORMATION:
Cyrrhian Macrae or Floyd Jebson 024 7688 8352
|
