The Social Uses of Alcoholic Beverages in a Peruvian Community

The research for this paper was conducted over several years, beginning with intensive investigation in 1960-61 in Huaylas, Ancash, Peru, a bilingual Andean district in the north central highlands. The study focuses upon the traditional social context in which alcoholic beverages are consumed, examines the extent of alcohol consumption and the ritual functions of drinking in certain situations.It is shown that the use of alcoholic drinks is highly patterned and integral to normal social interaction. The drinking ritual itself provides a mechanism which can facilitate social solidarity in a moderately stratified social system by legitimizing social relations between peers and individuals of different social sectors. As such, the drinking behavior served to promote certain community activities, such as public work projects. The dysfunctional aspects of drinking were found to be minimal in this context. With increased involvement of these people in urban-industrial life, however, these traditions assume other functions, and may be harmful to individuals.Data were gathered principally through systematic observation of social interaction and event analysis. Interviews were conducted with individuals from all sectors of the district society. Quantitative information was obtained from local tax records, police archives, businesses and from demographic materials gathered by the author

Context (archaeology) · Dysfunctional family · Geography · Political science · Social environment · Social science · Socioeconomics · Sociology · Solidarity · Culinary Culture and Tourism · Literary and Cultural Studies · Psychology · Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes

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