A01=Frederick H. Smith
alcohol
alcoholic beverages
alcoholism
Author_Frederick H. Smith
Barbados history
bars
beer
Category=NHTB
Category=NK
Category=WBXD
cultural functions
culture
drinking
drinks
drunks
eq_bestseller
eq_food-drink
eq_history
eq_isMigrated=1
eq_isMigrated=2
eq_nobargain
eq_non-fiction
liquor
meade
public drinking
pubs
spirits
taverns
Product details
- ISBN 9780813032900
- Weight: 323g
- Dimensions: 149 x 223mm
- Publication Date: 02 Nov 2008
- Publisher: University Press of Florida
- Publication City/Country: US
- Product Form: Paperback
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Through its complex history, alcohol has served many cultural functions, often constructive ones. For centuries it has been used as a valuable economic commodity, a medicinal tool, a focus of social gatherings, and a mechanism for psychological escape.Frederick Smith identifies key themes associated with alcohol production, distribution, and consumption. He discusses industrial and home production of alcoholic beverages and both public and clandestine drinking. He defines the contexts in which drinking takes place and the motivations - social and antisocial - for alcohol consumption.As a case study, Smith examines archaeological evidence of alcohol use from a cave site in Barbados, proposing that major historical events can be influenced by the social and spiritual use of alcohol. At the same time, Smith argues, alcohol can also provide people with a temporary respite from the challenges of daily life.
Frederick H. Smith, assistant professor of anthropology at the College of William and Mary, is the author of Caribbean Rum.
