Trauma, loss and other psychosocial drivers of excessive alcohol consumption in Karamoja, Uganda

Abstract This article investigates the trends, drivers and effects of alcohol consumption in Karamoja, a primarily pastoralist area of Uganda. Although locally brewed alcohol from sorghum and millet has an important and long-standing place in Karamojong tradition, the emerging trend of excessive con...

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Autores principales:	Padmini Iyer, Elizabeth Stites
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	SpringerOpen 2021
Materias:	Karamoja Uganda Alcohol Trauma Disarmament Livelihoods Animal culture SF1-1100
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/d463e8aaf36347f3b074397d08c58f53
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:d463e8aaf36347f3b074397d08c58f532021-11-28T12:05:53ZTrauma, loss and other psychosocial drivers of excessive alcohol consumption in Karamoja, Uganda10.1186/s13570-021-00199-02041-7136https://doaj.org/article/d463e8aaf36347f3b074397d08c58f532021-11-01T00:00:00Zhttps://doi.org/10.1186/s13570-021-00199-0https://doaj.org/toc/2041-7136Abstract This article investigates the trends, drivers and effects of alcohol consumption in Karamoja, a primarily pastoralist area of Uganda. Although locally brewed alcohol from sorghum and millet has an important and long-standing place in Karamojong tradition, the emerging trend of excessive consumption of hard liquor is a cause for concern among government and health officials, development practitioners and, especially, community members themselves. This article explores the varied reasons for this rise in hard liquor consumption, particularly in Karamoja’s post-disarmament period. The article is based on data collected in mid-2018, as well as information gleaned from the authors’ engagement in the region over the past decade. The peace and security ushered in by the disarmament exercises of the 2000s has, on the one hand, opened up the once isolated region politically and economically. Conversely, it has accelerated external interest in Karamoja’s economic wealth, leading to further disenfranchisement of its people due to dispossession of land. Emerging from the trauma of the disarmament exercise, the drastic loss of livestock and livelihoods and the continuing negligence of pastoralism by the state, Karamoja’s rural as well as peri-urban communities are undergoing a remarkable loss not only of their economic systems, but also of their socio-cultural identity. Acknowledging the specific trauma and loss experienced by individuals and communities provides a lens through which to better understand the excessive alcohol consumption. These psychosocial factors, along with the economic and political aspects, must be considered in efforts to address this continuing crisis in the region.Padmini IyerElizabeth StitesSpringerOpenarticleKaramojaUgandaAlcoholTraumaDisarmamentLivelihoodsAnimal cultureSF1-1100ENPastoralism, Vol 11, Iss 1, Pp 1-14 (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Karamoja Uganda Alcohol Trauma Disarmament Livelihoods Animal culture SF1-1100
spellingShingle	Karamoja Uganda Alcohol Trauma Disarmament Livelihoods Animal culture SF1-1100 Padmini Iyer Elizabeth Stites Trauma, loss and other psychosocial drivers of excessive alcohol consumption in Karamoja, Uganda
description	Abstract This article investigates the trends, drivers and effects of alcohol consumption in Karamoja, a primarily pastoralist area of Uganda. Although locally brewed alcohol from sorghum and millet has an important and long-standing place in Karamojong tradition, the emerging trend of excessive consumption of hard liquor is a cause for concern among government and health officials, development practitioners and, especially, community members themselves. This article explores the varied reasons for this rise in hard liquor consumption, particularly in Karamoja’s post-disarmament period. The article is based on data collected in mid-2018, as well as information gleaned from the authors’ engagement in the region over the past decade. The peace and security ushered in by the disarmament exercises of the 2000s has, on the one hand, opened up the once isolated region politically and economically. Conversely, it has accelerated external interest in Karamoja’s economic wealth, leading to further disenfranchisement of its people due to dispossession of land. Emerging from the trauma of the disarmament exercise, the drastic loss of livestock and livelihoods and the continuing negligence of pastoralism by the state, Karamoja’s rural as well as peri-urban communities are undergoing a remarkable loss not only of their economic systems, but also of their socio-cultural identity. Acknowledging the specific trauma and loss experienced by individuals and communities provides a lens through which to better understand the excessive alcohol consumption. These psychosocial factors, along with the economic and political aspects, must be considered in efforts to address this continuing crisis in the region.
format	article
author	Padmini Iyer Elizabeth Stites
author_facet	Padmini Iyer Elizabeth Stites
author_sort	Padmini Iyer
title	Trauma, loss and other psychosocial drivers of excessive alcohol consumption in Karamoja, Uganda
title_short	Trauma, loss and other psychosocial drivers of excessive alcohol consumption in Karamoja, Uganda
title_full	Trauma, loss and other psychosocial drivers of excessive alcohol consumption in Karamoja, Uganda
title_fullStr	Trauma, loss and other psychosocial drivers of excessive alcohol consumption in Karamoja, Uganda
title_full_unstemmed	Trauma, loss and other psychosocial drivers of excessive alcohol consumption in Karamoja, Uganda
title_sort	trauma, loss and other psychosocial drivers of excessive alcohol consumption in karamoja, uganda
publisher	SpringerOpen
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/d463e8aaf36347f3b074397d08c58f53
work_keys_str_mv	AT padminiiyer traumalossandotherpsychosocialdriversofexcessivealcoholconsumptioninkaramojauganda AT elizabethstites traumalossandotherpsychosocialdriversofexcessivealcoholconsumptioninkaramojauganda
_version_	1718408227260989440

Trauma, loss and other psychosocial drivers of excessive alcohol consumption in Karamoja, Uganda

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