alcohol
Malapandaram Featured by the Indian Press
In the middle of March, two major Indian newspapers published articles about the Malapandaram of Kerala. The New Indian Express published an analysis of the conditions in some colonies near Sabarimala on March 9 and the Times of India weighed in covering mostly the same people and colonies on March 12. This peaceful society is […]
The Rise of Domestic Abuse in French Polynesia
Violence in the home is a worldwide issue, especially for people concerned about developing more peaceful societies. Thus, a report last week on the rise of domestic abuse among the Tahitians suggests the value of a review of the history and cultural values which inhibit such violence. Or at least, which used to inhibit it. […]
The Struggle to Control Alcohol Consumption
The peaceful societies of India, like many people, struggle with the consumption of alcohol since it can promote social instability and violence along with providing a lot of pleasure. Of course patterns of alcohol usage vary among the peaceful societies of just that one country, from the Kadar men of Kerala, some of whom are […]
Ohio Police Arrest 73 Amish People
Early last week some people in Ohio organized a wild weekend party in a farm field that was attended by about 1,000 Amish youngsters, of whom 73 were arrested for underage drinking. One news story reported that over 40 police officers converged on the field in Hardy Township, west of Millersburg in Holmes County, Ohio, […]
The Happy Isle of Ifaluk
A world traveler raved about the wonderful people of Ifaluk Island in a blog entry published last week. Even though Marina, a young woman from St. Petersburg, visited the island in September 2013, her observations are worth studying today since there are so few current reports about this isolated society. Marina wrote in her blog […]
The Kadar Are in the News
Ten years ago, during the first full year of this website, almost nothing was reported in the Indian news about the then obscure Kadar society. The situation has changed dramatically since then. Three news reports on the Kadar were published last week alone. This society and its problems seem to have captured the attention of […]
Problem Drinking on Tristan da Cunha
Norwegian sociologist Peter Munch noticed during his fieldwork on Tristan da Cunha in 1937–38 that the Islanders consumed no alcohol. The reason, he wrote in his book The Sociology of Tristan da Cunha (1945), was that they “attach much importance to dignity in every situation (p.68).” As a result, they not only would not consume […]
Too Much Chang in Ladakh?
The consumption of alcohol poses a severe threat to the peace and stability of Ladakh, according to speakers at a one-day program held in the Ladakhi capital, Leh, last week. The Leh city police department organized the program, titled “Negative Impact of Alcohol on Society,” to alert the people of the district about the dangers […]
Kerala Government Takes Interest in the Kadar
A minister from the government of Kerala, in India, visited a couple Kadar colonies in her state last week and promised to allot lands to the people. P.K. Jayalakshmi, Minister for Welfare of Backward Communities, visited the Vachumaram and Pukalappara colonies near Athirappilly to announce that she had started formal procedures which would give the […]
Kadar Women Try to Stop Alcoholism
Some peaceful societies forbid the consumption of alcohol, which they feel might make them aggressive. Peter Gardner, in an article published in the 1972 book Hunters and Gatherers Today, indicated that the Paliyan have such a prohibition. One of their safeguards for preventing anger is to carefully avoid alcoholic beverages. They believe that it causes […]
