In my previous blog, I introduced a mini-series I’d like to write about titled “It’s a Generational Thing”. My goal is to highlight different people’s experiences and opinions on alcohol and the interactions with their culture of origin/generation status. The immigrant alcohol use research I’m currently working on unfortunately doesn’t allow me to report data based on different cultures, but it’s important to know these nuances exist. Therefore, I will be sharing insights from people across diverse cultures and immigrant statuses. To begin, I will share my answers.
Cultural background: Ugandan
Immigrant status: First-generation
In your opinion, what role (if any) does alcohol play in your culture? I grew up in Canada so almost all of my understanding of alcohol and Ugandan culture wasn’t through direct experience in Uganda. Instead, my understanding has come indirectly through observations, teachings, community gatherings in Canada, etc. From my experiences, I see there some parallels between Ugandan and Canadian culture. Alcohol is a powerful social tool and a staple found at parties. However, I want to note that alcohol has never been present at any of the religious gatherings I’ve attended in my cultural community. Next, like in Canadian culture, alcohol is is commonly used as a stress reliever to cope with the pressures of life.
Are there any taboos and/or stereotypes about alcohol in your culture? I believe this is shifting with time, but my experience has been that it is more accepted to see men drinking than women. Following traditional roles, it would be more “normal” to hear of a man drinking at the bar after work while his wife is at home attending to household business. At social gatherings, I can recall more instances of men drinking while women handled the cooking or taking care of the children. Lastly, as I wrote about in a previous blog, I have seen alcohol been used as a mask to cover mental health difficulties which are taboo in my culture.
Do you think this differs across generations? Age wise, I believe the younger generation is more outspoken about gender stereotypes and mental health in general. Therefore, this could lead to a greater acceptance of women drinking as well as more conversations about mental health. Similarly, I believe this acceptance is most likely to be found in later generations of immigrants in Canada as families are influenced by the dominating culture.
I’m looking forward to sharing other people’s responses in future posts. Thank you for reading!
Nova Scotians looking for addictions support can go online or call 1-855-922-1122.
Photo by John Arano on Unsplash
