Historical Attitudes towards Alcohol - Essay Example

? Historical Attitudes towards Alcohol in Societies Historical Attitudes towards Alcohol in Societies Introduction Alcohol is by farthe most commonly used drug across the globe. This is not only in the present age, but a trend that has persisted over millenniums in different cultures. Research indicate that alcohol was first made in China almost nine thousand years ago, but the practice was eventually learned by other cultures that have led to the present state of commercialization of alcohol. In many ways, much has changed and a lot has still remained the same with time. For instance, the role or significance of alcohol has changed extensively while the ways in which it is made have remained relatively rigid. This paper outlines that attitudes towards the consumption of alcohol are linked to specific attitudes and ideologies in the society. Alcohol consumption has been taken to imply other social perspectives in different cultures and eras. This will be expounded upon in the paper to identify what influenced these perspectives and what the consequences were to the consumption of liquor. The perspectives that some may have held towards alcohol may differ to those of other in another culture or within the same culture but with different views. Alcohol and Social Occasions Many Christians or those knowledgeable about the bible may be aware of an occasion where Jesus turned water into wine. The occasion was a wedding and the people had run out of wine. This had the potency to ruin the party. In history, alcohol has been associated with celebrations particularly those fully endorsed by the society such as weddings or the birth of a baby. The society would come together during such occasions and drink together, an action that had a deeper meaning that many would apprehend today. It was a way of bringing the community closer, in a way that it would bond and become more united towards achieving tasks. In those times, the community worked as one towards performing specific roles which may be equated to the family set up today. Consumption of alcohol was not as straight forward as it is today. It had to be consented by the “form of leadership” in the community and done in public by all those permitted to drink. This usually took place during occasions that had the theme of celebration such as after a hefty harvest or during a union between a man and a woman. It was hence impossible to separate such occasions and alcohol, particularly so because it was preserved for such occasions. People would be waiting for them to come and would not miss. It also performed pivotal roles in bringing together the community, this one of the most important unit that determined prosperity or failure. A community that would not come together to drink and rejoice after a favorable occasion was feeble and would not accomplish much. Alcohol and Social Status As stated earlier, the decision to brew beer (one of the most common form of alcohol at the time along with grape wine) was made by the community. This is not to say that the entire community would deliberate over the matter, rather the select few with the obligation to made decisions for the community as a whole. This meant that these individuals had a higher power (status) as compared to the ordinary civilians. This community set up is mutual to many cultures, which means that this group of was given different names and obligations. What is common in almost all cases is that social gatherings such as the one that would require the provision of alcohol were deliberated by these individuals. It is factual to assert that alcohol was largely linked to social class. Decisions on whether to drink, even on an individual level were dependent on whether those of a higher social status agreed to the idea. As this form of community slowly disintegrated and alcohol was incessantly availed to everyone at a cost, only those of the upper social class that could afford it continued to control it. In some way, it may be viewed that much did not change. Alcohol continued to be linked to social status, and it still may be in these present times. The wealthy produced it and sold it to those of the same status since they are the same ones that would afford it. Alcohol was hence power, one that only a privileged few could access. Alcohol and Irresponsibility/Negligence As alcohol became readily available for the middle-class, there were no limits to which one could devour. One of the notable occurrence that led to this was the crumbling of the community-unit that encouraged individuals to govern the actions of their peers. The failure of this mechanism of existence meant that each individual had to cater for themselves or those close to them such as family members or friends. This is sought of the way of life that is in practice today. The making of alcohol became more widespread due to the increasing demand and this further added into the aspect of availability of alcohol. Availability of alcohol meant that some individuals would indulge in it at all times. Competition between producers also meant that every means would be used to entice more drinkers to come in as it would translate into more income for them. Excessive drinking meant that such individuals were unproductive in society and acted very irresponsibly towards their duties. Parents would hardly cater for their children while the young generation would only act for the moment without the conception that they had a future to work towards. The final outcome was that the community looked down on such individuals and strongly linked such actions with alcohol. Many would perceive the drink as causing people to become irresponsible by neglecting their roles in society, and even doing actions that were deemed as shameful. Alcohol and Religion With the spread of religion across the globe, alcohol consumption got new form of audience and perception. One of the predominant religion in the west was Christianity with a somewhat divided view on alcohol. The incident of Jesus turning water into “alcohol” may have a lot to do with this dilemma. Even when the religious perspective was initially taken, some people viewed the irresponsible lot the same way they saw alcohol; evil. The entry of religion into the matter and some openly asserting that they were totally against alcohol only escalated the perspectives that many had. This also segmented Christianity further as opinions differed from one group to another. Even where alcohol had been endorsed by some religions, it was done under specific guidelines. For instance, alcohol was a very important part of the Jewish Torah as well as it signifying the blood of Christ for some Christians. Catholics partly embraced it while the Protestants have not taken a mutual stand on the topic, although there is a hint of reluctance to embrace it. However, the question of moderate consumption of alcohol was considered by many including the Catholics as justifiable. The congregation was still much divided on this matter, and some cite that it played a major role in shaping the functioning of the religion at the time as it still does today. Islam was entirely against the consumption of alcohol, and there are some denominations such as the Jehovah Witnesses and the Mormons that had the same view. The contentious event that Christians have to deal with is the incident where Jesus turns water into wine, as many take this to mean that Christianity should embrace alcohol; it is debate that has been there as long as there has been religion and alcohol. With the continued spread of religion and widespread consumption of alcohol, it has always been difficult to think of alcohol without taking a religious point of view. Stigmatism and Gender-Based Attitudes in Alcohol When the church rejected the consumption of alcohol, one of the reasons given for this stand is that is makes women indulge in inappropriate sexual activities. The church does not cite the case of men although it may be argued that they indulge in the same activities under the influence of alcohol. In short, the case of women consuming alcohol is taken to be more serious than that of their male counterparts. Throughout history, even in celebrations such as the ones described above where the community would come together to rejoice, alcohol was solely meant for men’s consumption. It was even incomprehensible that women would take alcohol till the rules became a little bit more flexible. As long as history may expound on the consumption of alcohol, it was meant for men. Both women and children were not allowed to devour the drink, and this went as far as not allowing young men to do the same. This is an occurrence that is relatively mutual in all cultures that have been in the past consuming alcohol. But there are cases where women defy the norms by deciding to consume alcohol. The problem is that there is a price to pay for this; a hefty one indeed. Women have previously been stigmatized about their drinking habits by exacerbating shame, diminishing their self-esteem, and undermining their recovery. In many ways then, alcohol is a male drink and it has been used to show dominance or leadership over the female gender and the young ones. Violation of this unwritten rule has in many cases led to stigmatization in undesirable levels. Changing Attitudes towards Alcohol History as taught man a lot about alcohol, perspectives have changed as much as the culture has. The consumption of alcohol is not as restricted as much as it were in the past where only special occasions guaranteed alcohol. Although regulators are presently more active than some past times, it is easier to access alcohol than any other time in history. The regulators are also very lean to allow for the unlimited supply of the product to all regardless of social status. Most social groups can afford alcohol today because competition amongst the many producers has meant that prices have drastically plummeted. Therefore, although there is a hint of social class in alcohol today, it is not as evident as it was in the years that have past. One of the goals that regulators have set to accomplish is to ensure that alcohol is not deemed to be taken by irresponsible individuals who have total disregard for the duties they are supposed to play. In an era where alcohol dictates a huge chunk of the economy, it would hurt the financial state of the economy. Making informed decisions in this regard is very important to making sure that some undesirable perspectives to alcohol are dealt with. It is appropriate to state that the way people of today perceive alcohol is very different from those of any other past era. Its role in society has been manipulated to fit individual wants. Conclusion The above illustrations shows that how people have perceived alcohol in the past has had a lot to do with how the same people perceive some specific social issues. Even if the same question was to be asked today, people would still link alcohol to some social issues they undergo. The key difference between the historical and present perspectives may have to do with cultural changes. People have become more knowledgeable in time particularly by appreciating some aspects to the world around them that their predecessors would not have accepted. For instance, men were highly regarded as compared to women, and this further nurtured social issues when alcohol was involved. Times have changed and women can freely drink although there are still conceptions that do not allow women to drink as much as men do. Some of the key sociological attitudes that could not be separated from alcohol historically revolve around the subjects of religion, gender stigmatization, irresponsible deeds, social occasions, and social status of individuals. This are just a few of the most prevalent social issues that were difficult to separate from alcohol, but there are many others that may also have been attributed to the concoction. Read More