From Hunting to Drinking : The Devastating Effects of Alcohol on an Australian Aboriginal Community

Annotation David Mcknight assesses the effects that alcohol has had on a small aboriginal community. He explores why drinking has become the main social activity, leading to high levels of illness, suicide and homicide From Hunting To Drinking Reveals The Devastating Effects That Alcohol Has Had Over A Period Of 30 Years On Mornington Island, Off The North Queensland Coast, Australia. Drinking Has Become The Main Social Activity On The Island And The Amount Of Alcohol Consumed Has Reached A Disturbing Level. Suicide And Homicide Rates Are Alarmingly High And Alcohol Related Illness Is Rife.david Mcknight Assesses This Situation And Explores How It Now Affects All Reaches Of Community Life - Local Politics, Marriage, Child-rearing Practices, Gender Relationships, Employment, Law, Housing And Education.in An Attempt To Explain Why The Mornington Islanders Drink So Much He Reviews The History Of Drinking In Australia As Well As Its Causes. He Also Asks Why The Situation Has Been Allowed To Continue, Exploring The Vested Interest That The Authorities Have In The Sale Of Alcohol On The Island.based On Extensive Ethnographic Fieldwork, This Is A Vital Addition To The Literature On Alcohol Use And Problem Drinking, Social Change And Postcolonialism. -- Book Jacket. Map Of The Wellesley Islands -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Anthropological Views Of 'the Problem Of Drinking' -- 3. Policies And Practices: Putting Aborigines 'in Their Place' -- 4. The Social And Historical Background Of The Wellesley Islands -- 5. Changing Relationships Between The Generations -- 6. 'try-ask' And 'knock-back' -- 7. The Snake -- 8. The Shire And The Canteen -- 9. The Destruction Of The Community And Of The Self -- 10. Childhood And Formal Education -- 11. Law And The Police -- 12. The Built Environment -- 13. 'you Can't Stop Native People From Drinking'? -- 14. Why Isn't Something Done? David Mcknight. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [228]-234) And Index. "From Hunting to Drinking reveals the devastating effects that alcohol has had over a period of 30 years on Mornington Island, off the North Queensland Coast, Australia. Drinking has become the main social activity on the island and the amount of alcohol consumed has reached a disturbing level. Suicide and homicide rates are alarmingly high and alcohol related illness is rife. David McKnight assesses this situation and explores how it now affects all reaches of community life - local politics, marriage, child-rearing practices, gender relationships, employment, law, housing and education. In an attempt to explain why the Mornington Islanders drink so much he reviews the history of drinking in Australia as well as its causes. He also asks why the situation has been allowed to continue, exploring the vested interest that the authorities have in the sale of alcohol on the island. Based on extensive ethnographic fieldwork, this is a vital addition to the literature on alcohol use and problem drinking, social change and postcolonialism."--Jacket Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 4 Contents......Page 5 List of plates and tables......Page 10 Acknowledgements......Page 11 Chronology......Page 14 Map of the Wellesley Islands......Page 15 Introduction......Page 16 Anthropological views of 'the problem of drinking'......Page 25 Policies and practices: putting Aborigines 'in their place'......Page 35 The social and historical background of the Wellesley Islands......Page 44 Changing relationships between the generations......Page 67 'Try-ask' and 'knock-back'......Page 81 The Snake......Page 93 The Shire and the canteen......Page 108 The destruction of the community and of the self......Page 130 Childhood and formal education......Page 150 Law and the police......Page 160 The built environment......Page 166 'You can't stop native people from drinking'?......Page 191 Why isn't something done?......Page 204 Conclusions......Page 227 Notes......Page 232 Bibliography......Page 243 Index......Page 250 Based on extensive ethnographic fieldwork this is a vital addition to the literature on alcohol use and problem drinking, social change and postcolonialism. From Hunting to Drinking reveals the social change witnessed over a period of 30 years by an anthropologist on Mornington Island, off the North Queensland Coast, Australia, most notably the devastating effects that alcohol has had on this community. Based on extensive ethnographic fieldwork this is a vital addition to the literature on alcohol use and problem drinking, social change and postcolonialism. From Hunting to Drinking reveals the social change witnessed over a period of 30 years by an anthropologist on Mornington Island, off the North Queensland Coast, Australia, most notably the devastating effects that alcohol has had on this community 'From Hunting to Drinking' reveals the devastating effects that alcohol has had over a period of 30 years on an Australian aboriginal community. David McKnight's study examines the historical influence and government interference