ABSTRACT

Introduction Although socializing and drinking in bars, pubs and clubs has traditionally been identied as a masculine leisure activity (Whitehead, 1976; Hey, 1986; Green et al., 1987; Parks et al., 1998), social taboos around women drinking alcohol appear to have receded in recent years (Day, Gough and McFadden, 2004). The UK has also witnessed an expansion of the night-time economy (Winlow and Hall, 2006), and bars and clubs have become more ‘women friendly’ through a process of feminization (Chatterton and Hollands, 2003). This cultural shift represents a stark contrast with observations from earlier studies that position drinking in pubs as a male privilege, and an expression of patriarchal society (Hey, 1986; Whitehead, 1976).