I think it is somewhat encumbent upon me to explain what, for me, I mean by a context in which my witness would meet demise by not engaging in moderate alcohol consumption.
I am an athropologist, among other things. A textbook definition of an anthropology is:
Anthropology is a traditional liberal arts discipline which considers the nature and dynamics of human culture and society. Humans are to a large degree the product of their specific social setting and associated cultural tradition, thus our vision of the world around us is often blocked by the limitations of our own circumstances. Anthropology addresses this tremendous variation in the human experience.
To do this anthropologists engage in the methodology called participant-observation. In other words, you become a participant WITH a people to "study" them, and do not just observe them casually or from a distance.
Here is an explanation from field notes of mine that displays my use of alcohol in doing participant-observation:
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The Haitian peasantry here in {name witheld} situate themselves within lakou settlements. Lakou-s are compounds of cooperatively-based extended kin, including family members, non-kin, and fictive kin, headed by the oldest male (mét lakou). Most extended families who do not reside in actual lakou-s still typically live close together, such as across a path or up a hill. Both lakou-s as compounds and the clustering of extended kin in close proximity with each other enable Haitian peasant groups to take up voluntarily the excess burdens individuals may face during particularly difficult times one or some may be facing.
Lakou-s diminished during the 1800s, during which time Haitian kinship moved in the direction of nuclear families. The patterning around nuclear family units has created vulnerability within the units, who more often must bear risks apart from larger kin groups. Even so, lakou-s and clustering of extended kin are both still widespread in Haiti.
There are various organizational forms around which the political economy of the Haitian peasantry is organized. Within the Haitian political economy the lowest position one can have is as a paid laborer for a neighbor. However, in the economy and organization of Haitian kove-s, the whole idea is to work for one’s neighbor.
Kove-s are membership-based agricultural work parties whose members are called upon when someone and/or their group needs assistance to clear land, plant, weed, or harvest. Events kove-s undertake involve reciprocal arrangements between lakou-s, other groups, or family units. When the host of a kove asks another kove or similar group to host a work party (a kove), moderate competition develops between the groups to "out perform" the other in calling in adequate laborers, and in providing correlative festivities, typically food, some kleren (a type of Haitian rum cut with a small amount of super-sweet syrupy sugar water and tea of "traditional" herbs added), and socially pointed call-and-response songs. As such, the nature of kove-s is to provide and multiply community solidarity, and to perform better continually.
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How did I learn this? By participating in a kove--all of it, including the kleren! There was not other way to, I promise.
Of course, there can be many other correlates to my context. They very, very well might not exist in yours. And that is *fully* okay.
[ April 23, 2003, 01:58 AM: Message edited by: Anthro ]
Sorry again.
NE would push you into drinking--or if they do, they have a BIG problem. It IS unwise for many and in many contexts!
