Controlling “rivers of Grog”
The Challenge of Alcohol Problems in Australian Indigenous Communities
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 11057489 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Peter D''Abb (0000-0001-5988-9359, corresponding author), Peter D'Abbs |
| Year | 2010 |
| Volume | 37 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 499-524 |
| Publication date | 2010-09-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Contemporary Drug Problems (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0091-4509 • E-ISSN: 2163-1808 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/009145091003700307 |
| OpenAlex | W2099695121 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 8 |
In 2007, a report into the sexual abuse of children in Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory, Australia, led to allegations that “rivers of grog [alcohol]” were destroying these communities. It also precipitated a dramatic shift in Aboriginal policy by the Australian government, in which principles of self-determination were discarded in favor of top-down measures designed to restrict Aboriginal access to alcohol. While not disputing the gravity of current levels of alcohol-related harm in some Indigenous settings, this article challenges the assumption that “rivers of grog” have swept away all capacities for local control, and argues that a more theoretically and empirically informed analysis of the nature, determinants, and outcomes of social control provides a basis for a more viable policy than the current so-called emergency response. The article traces the evolution of policies affecting Indigenous alcohol use, and of concerns expressed by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous commentators about problems in controlling drinking at a local level. It then examines sociological perspectives on social control. The article concludes by reviewing initiatives by Aboriginal organizations aimed at developing more effective local controls over alcohol
Criminology · Government (linguistics) · Harm · Indigenous · Political science · Sociology · Community Health and Development · Ecology · Homelessness and Social Issues · Indigenous Health, Education, and Rights · Law
| Citations per year | 0.2 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2016 - 2016 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |