Alcohol Abuse Reproduced by Structural Inequalities : A Case Study in rural Mexico

Sammanfattning: Author Sandra Karlsson E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Institutional affiliation Växjö University School of Social Sciences Academic adviser: Associate professor Per Dannefjord Level: Bachelor’s thesis in sociology Title Alcohol Abuse Reproduced by Structural Inequalities: A Case Study in rural Mexico Description The purpose of this case study is to reveal the social structure determining the state of alcoholism in a particular society. The Case Study area is a marginalized rural and indigenous village, highly interconnected with the modern world through non-indigenous presence and because of its geographic location, situated close to a highway. The research is a result of a perceived local acceptance and naturalness of a highly destructive alcohol intake, which penetrates the whole society. The theoretical focus is drawn from the theories Durable Inequality developed by Charles Tilly and Stigmatization of Outsiders developed by Norbert Elias. The study is empirical and presented in a narrative structure introducing the reader to both the particularities of the Case Study area as well as the focal problem. The method used is Participant Observation. The crucial finding of the study is that an adaptive structure has evolved around the alcohol abuse, normalizing its existence and hazardous side effects, hindering any form of active resistance, and therefore reproducing or even strengthening the abuse.