This discussion considers an idea incorporated into the thinking of Alcoholics Anonymous from its very beginning: the idea of anonymity. The success of AA depends upon the ability of people who come from a diverse range of social, cultural, and economic backgrounds to identify with one another at a very deep level. In order to achieve this level of identification, it is necessary that the people who take part in meetings relinquish virtually all of the common personal and socio/cultural definitions by means of which they differentiate themselves from others. This understanding of anonymity is quite different from the commonly held idea that, as far as the "outside" world is concerned, alcoholics remain anonymous with regard to the fact of their alcoholism.
Clearly, the former, richer, concept of anonymity can be very "porous" in nature. Nonetheless, the willingness of members of AA to fully commit to it is a crucial element in the removal of socio/cultural barriers that would otherwise impede a form of identification that is profound. The idea of anonymity as a means of deep identification with other human beings is considered in terms of its possible employment on a more universal basis, that is, among individuals who are not associated with AA or any of the well-known twelve-step programs that the success of AA has encouraged.

Keywords

• AA
• Anonymity
• Identification

(30 min. Conference Paper, English)