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Book Reviews

Book Reviews Fighting Firewater Fictions: Moving beyond the Disease Model of Alcoholism in First Nations By Richard W. Thatcher Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2004 Reviewed by F.E. Knowles, Jr. Valdosta State University Thatcher has undertaken an ambitious and courageous project. His positions are well structured and well argued. He presents a very passionate indictment of the medicavdisease approach to alcohol abuse in First Nations communities. His work contradicts “conventional wisdom” and takes to task the monolithic, and sometimes archaic, canon of medical convention. Thatcher’s work is groundbreaking and iconoclastic and will arm those of us who seek new and sometimes radical approaches to addressing social problems. There is a prevailing stereotype regarding Native Americans, referred to as “First Nations” or “indigenous people” in Canada, that suggests that all are alcoholics, either actualized or potential. Thatcher explains that this “firewater myth” implicates Native Americans as having a genetic predisposition to alcohol dependence and addiction. His purpose is to debunk this and associated stereotypes regarding alcohol use and the First Nations of Canada. Thatcher argues that it was through replication of behaviors shown by Europeans, under the influence of alcohol, that a stereotypical Native American response to alcohol use was developed. Alcohol, http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Journal of Applied Sociology SAGE

Book Reviews

Journal of Applied Sociology , Volume os-22 (2): 5 – Sep 1, 2005
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5 pages

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Publisher
SAGE
Copyright
© 2005 Association for Applied Social Science
ISSN
0749-0232
eISSN
1937-0245
DOI
10.1177/19367244052200208
Publisher site
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Abstract

Fighting Firewater Fictions: Moving beyond the Disease Model of Alcoholism in First Nations By Richard W. Thatcher Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2004 Reviewed by F.E. Knowles, Jr. Valdosta State University Thatcher has undertaken an ambitious and courageous project. His positions are well structured and well argued. He presents a very passionate indictment of the medicavdisease approach to alcohol abuse in First Nations communities. His work contradicts “conventional wisdom” and takes to task the monolithic, and sometimes archaic, canon of medical convention. Thatcher’s work is groundbreaking and iconoclastic and will arm those of us who seek new and sometimes radical approaches to addressing social problems. There is a prevailing stereotype regarding Native Americans, referred to as “First Nations” or “indigenous people” in Canada, that suggests that all are alcoholics, either actualized or potential. Thatcher explains that this “firewater myth” implicates Native Americans as having a genetic predisposition to alcohol dependence and addiction. His purpose is to debunk this and associated stereotypes regarding alcohol use and the First Nations of Canada. Thatcher argues that it was through replication of behaviors shown by Europeans, under the influence of alcohol, that a stereotypical Native American response to alcohol use was developed. Alcohol,

Journal

Journal of Applied Sociology – SAGE

Published: Sep 1, 2005

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