Ideology in a bottle: Western theories on alcohol and indigenous peoples

This thesis presents an Historical Materialist critique of current explanations of alcohol abuse and the implications of these models on policies and interventions imposed on Aboriginal peoples of North America. An Historical Materialist approach provides an alternative conceptual framework for understanding the impact of alcohol among these populations. It stands in opposition to current positivistic and Eurocentric explanations rooted in a methodological individualistic framework. Historical Materialism can help alcohol researchers and policy makers develop an integrated understanding of the relationship between society and individuals within an historical context, and thereby begin to develop insights and recommendations for reducing alcohol through its prevention.