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Alcohol and Power on Palm Island
Author(s) -
Barber James C.,
Punt Jeanine,
Albers Jules
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
australian journal of social issues
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.417
H-Index - 30
eISSN - 1839-4655
pISSN - 0157-6321
DOI - 10.1002/j.1839-4655.1988.tb01274.x
Subject(s) - project commissioning , legislation , publishing , alcohol abuse , power (physics) , criminology , politics , alcohol , association (psychology) , political science , law , sociology , psychology , psychiatry , physics , quantum mechanics , biochemistry , chemistry , psychotherapist
By analysing the circumstances surrounding criminal behaviour on Palm Island, a close association is found between alcohol abuse and crimes of disorderly behaviour and violence. It is argued that one of the reasons for this association is alcohol's capacity to provide an experience of personalized power and in the case of Australian Aborigines this effect of alcohol is enhanced by the role played by alcohol throughout the history of Aboriginal legislation. Viewed in this way, the prevention of Aboriginal alcohol abuse becomes a political rather than an educational issue.