This ethnographic case-study explored people's use of online Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) groups with a global membership. The main objective was to explore AA members' preferences for using online AA groups, or not.
Main queries were: Do participants use only online AA groups or both face-to-face and online groups? If they use only online groups, how do they explain their preference? If they use both, how do they view the online alternative? Finally, how do the AA members experience the global membership in the online groups? Can they identify with each other?
The empirical basis for the discussion comprises data from participant observation in two international online AA groups for 1 year, involving content analysis of discussion threads, and a limited number of e-mail interviews.
The result of the analysis is presented as a summary of what is gained from participation in online vs. F2F AA groups. The discussion of emerging themes suggests that online AA members can easily identify with each other despite their cultural differences. The majority of AA members in this study seem to prefer a combination of face-to-face and online AA groups.
The plethora of AA resources on the Internet also seems to have provided AA members the opportunity to "customise" their recovery program and support network in a way that suits their particular needs and life situations, and in ways that transcend their native culture.
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