drinking behavior, economic status, and adaptive strategies of modernization in a highland Mexican community

Abstract

Widespread peasant drunkenness was frequently cited by local people and development agents as a prime reason for the lack of success of planned change programs in the Temascalcingo region of the Mexican central highlands. This paper compares drinking patterns in the region with other Mesoamerican communities and then documents the considerable intracultural variability in this behavior within one group of peasants. There is no support for the general contention that heavier drinkers are less likely to be modernizing their productive activities. I do find, however, that heavy drinkers are less likely to be interested in some modernization strategies (specifically animal improvement) and are more likely to be interested in others (use of tractors). Although alcohol use is not the most salient variable associated with the change process, it did contribute significantly to an understanding of sociocultural dynamics in the Temascalcingo region.

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