International Handbook on Alcohol and Culture

416 Pages·1995·21.54 MB·English

by  Dwight B. Heath

International Handbook
on Alcohol and
Culture
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International Handbook
on Alcohol and
Culture
EDITED BY
DWIGHT B. HEATH
GREENWOOD PRESS
Westport, Connecticut • London
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
International handbook on alcohol and culture / edited by Dwight B.
Heath.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-313-25234-3 (alk. paper)
1. Drinking of alcoholic beverages—Cross-cultural studies.
2. Drinking customs—Cross-cultural studies. 3. Alcoholism—Cross-
cultural studies. I. Heath, Dwight B.
HV5035.I57 1995
394.13—dc20 95-7184
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is available.
Copyright © 1995 by Dwight B. Heath
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be
reproduced, by any process or technique, without the
express written consent of the publisher.
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 95-7184
ISBN: 0-313-25234-3
First published in 1995
Greenwood Press, 88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
An imprint of Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc.
Printed in the United States of America
The paper used in this book complies with the
Permanent Paper Standard issued by the National
Information Standards Organization (Z39.48-1984).
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 32
Copyright Acknowledgments
The editor and the publisher gratefully acknowledge permission to use the following:
Excerpts from Preventing Alcohol Abuse: Alcohol, Culture, and Control by David J.
Hanson. 1995. Praeger Publishers: Westport, CT. Used with permission of Praeger
Publishers, an imprint of Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc., Westport, CT.
To
A New Beginning
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Contents
Tables xxi
Preface and Acknowledgments xxiii
1 An Introduction to Alcohol and Culture in International
Perspective 1
Dwight B. Heath
Why Alcohol Matters 1
Why Culture Matters 2
The Purpose of This Book 3
Scope of the Book 3
Format and Use of the Book 4
References 6
2 Australia 7
Wayne Hall and Ernest Hunter
History of Drinking in Australia 7
Reasons for the Long Waves in Alcohol
Consumption 8
Contemporary Consumption Patterns 10
Alcohol-Related Problems 12
viii Contents
Alcohol Control Measures 12
Aboriginal Drinking 13
History 13
Contemporary Alcohol Use 14
Summary 18
References 18
3 Canada 20
Yuet W. Cheung and Patricia G. Erickson
Contemporary Drinking Patterns 21
General Prevalence Trends 21
Current Drinking Habits and Attitudes 22
Sociodemographic and Regional Variations in
Drinking 23
Alcohol-Related Problems 26
Alcohol Policies 28
Control Policies 28
Prevention and Treatment Policies 29
References 29
4 Chile 31
Eduardo Medina Cardenas
Some Generalities about Alcohol 31
Alcoholic Beverages in Chile 32
Urban Consumption 33
Use of Alcoholic Beverages among Mapuche Indians 34
Social Learning of Alcohol Consumption 37
Pros and Cons of Alcoholic Beverage Consumption 38
Conclusions 39
References 40
Contents IX
5 China 42
Xiao Jiacheng
History 44
Major Drinking Patterns 45
Ritual Drinking 45
Festive Drinking 45
Recreational Drinking 46
Medicinal Drinking 47
Moral Drinking 48
The National Scene 48
Editor's Notes 49
References 50
6 Denmark 51
Peter Schi0ler
History of Alcohol 51
Contemporary Drinking Patterns 55
Attitudes toward Drinking 59
Alcohol Policies 60
References 61
7 Egypt 63
Abdel Monheim Ashour
Why Alcohol Is Noteworthy in Egypt 63
Alcohol in Egyptian History 63
Predynastic and Early Dynastic Drinking 63
The Old Kingdom (3150 B.C-2350 B.C.) 64
The First Intermediate Period and the Middle
Kingdom (2350 B.C-1600 B.C.) 65
The New Kingdom (1600 B.C-330 B.C.) 65
Greco-Roman Egypt (330 B.C.-A.D. 150) 66