Toward a political-economy of alcoholism: the missing link in the anthropology of drinking

Abstract

This paper addresses a shortcoming in the existing anthropological and related social science literature on alcohol use and abuse, namely the general inattention to global political-economic forces that have in the past and continue to reshape social relations and drinking practices cross-culturally. Following a critical review of the dominant approaches adopted in the varying explanations of heavy drinking and alcoholism, several alternative concepts are presented and developed in order to lay the ground for the emergence of a political-economy of alcoholism. The paper urges transcendence of the existing narrow boundaries of inquiry and perspective characteristic of most anthropological study of drinking and drinking problems.