Socio-cultural influences also contribute to the development of alcohol addiction. For our purposes, the term culture describes a group's learned and shared pattern of values and beliefs. These values and beliefs guide group members' behavior and their social interactions. When a culture accepts or tolerates drunkenness, the members of that culture are more vulnerable to addiction. The greatest social influence is the family. This is how culture is transmitted from one generation to the next. Children learn from their family members about alcohol use, or misuse.