Reform and Resistance

Abstract

Alcohol policies and control measures are attempts to change what is deemed (by processes that are themselves open to analysis) to be problematic drinking behavior. Attempts to bring about behavioral or cultural shifts, however, typically generate resistance, which may take place as small local actions by individuals in their everyday lives, or evolve into broader social phenomena. This article argues that, while some alcohol researchers have recognized the presence of resistance to control measures, the nature and determinants of resistance remain poorly understood. The article draws on sociological approaches to resistance in order to redress this. Theoretically, I draw in particular on de Certeau’s conceptualization of resistance as a tactical practice of everyday life. Empirically, I illustrate some key aspects of resistance by referring to manifestations of power and resistance relating to drinking by indigenous people in Fourth World settings such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States. The article concludes by arguing that a sociologically informed understanding of resistance is necessary to an adequate understanding of the role and place of alcohol control policies.