Challenging Stereotypes: Understanding Drinking Cultures Among the Urban Poor

Abstract

This research article proposes the drinking cultures among the urban poor through the lens of critical medical anthropology, analyzing behaviors within structural conditions. The study employs formal interviews and participant observation with drinkers, including slum dwellers and industrial workers. The findings reveal three key insights. First, the drinking patterns among the urban poor are diverse. Some drink moderately every day, others only on weekends, while a segment engages in heavy daily drinking.  Second, drinkers cite hedonism, stress relief after work, and social bonding as primary reasons for drinking. These reasons challenge the stereotype that the poor drink solely due to stress, creating a cycle of poverty and alcohol dependence. Drinkers employ neutralization techniques, asserting that their alcohol expenses are manageable, and view drinking as less harmful than drug use. Third, heavy drinking among the urban poor is closely linked to structural conditions.  In terms of working conditions, physical labor leads to drinking as a coping mechanism for bodily pain, increasing the risk of long-term alcohol dependence. Socioeconomic status and opportunities for upward mobility are significant factors influencing drinking behaviors.