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Fruit of the Vine, work of human hands : farm workers and alcohol on a farm in Stellenbosch, South Africa

Bibliography: leaves 112-115.

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: De Kock, Alana Eileen
Other Authors: Ross, Fiona C
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: Social Anthropology 2014
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access_status_str Open Access
author De Kock, Alana Eileen
author2 Ross, Fiona C
author_browse De Kock, Alana Eileen
Ross, Fiona C
author_facet Ross, Fiona C
De Kock, Alana Eileen
author_sort De Kock, Alana Eileen
collection Thesis
description Bibliography: leaves 112-115.
format Thesis
id oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/10342
institution University of Cape Town (South Africa)
language eng
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:32:51.499Z
license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
publishDate 2014
publishDateRange 2014
publishDateSort 2014
publisher Social Anthropology
publisherStr Social Anthropology
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source_str UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/10342 Fruit of the Vine, work of human hands : farm workers and alcohol on a farm in Stellenbosch, South Africa De Kock, Alana Eileen Ross, Fiona C Social Anthropology Bibliography: leaves 112-115. I argue that alcohol is embedded in forces of structural violence that create circumstances of social suffering amongst farm workers in the Western Cape. argue that the labour relations on the research farm are shot through with violence and I trace the use of paternalism as a means to control the work force. I argue that the principles of paternalism have been internalised by the majority of the workers. I further explore the current changes in labour relations as they are played out the field work farm and demonstrate that exploitation and oppression continue to be features of structural violence exercised today. In order to understand alcohol consumption amongst farm workers in the light of structural violence, I argue that farm workers who drink heavily in the mode of the weekend binge do so in an attempt to ameliorate the conditions of their existence. I argue that alcohol consumption is ritualised and that ritual serves to provide a space outside the everyday that facilitates escape from suffering and legitimates drinking. It is my contention that the ritual fails to provide real escape and instead serves to further immiserate farm workers. In an attempt to escape the negative consequences of alcohol consumption those who are able to abstain from drinking alcohol do so largely by converting to a form of Christianity that prohibits alcohol use. I employ the notion of unlearning drinking behaviour to understand the creation of a new person within a support system that enables new ways of being in the world, I contend though, that this new identity is fragile and the potential to revert to previous identities is always present.In addressing the phenomena of alcohol consumption and abstinence, I argue that the social suffering caused by structural violence and the perceived negative effects of alcohol use must not be conflated. 2014-12-28T14:45:10Z 2014-12-28T14:45:10Z 2002 Master Thesis Masters MA http://hdl.handle.net/11427/10342 eng application/pdf Social Anthropology Faculty of Humanities University of Cape Town
spellingShingle Social Anthropology
De Kock, Alana Eileen
Fruit of the Vine, work of human hands : farm workers and alcohol on a farm in Stellenbosch, South Africa
thesis_degree_str Master's
title Fruit of the Vine, work of human hands : farm workers and alcohol on a farm in Stellenbosch, South Africa
title_full Fruit of the Vine, work of human hands : farm workers and alcohol on a farm in Stellenbosch, South Africa
title_fullStr Fruit of the Vine, work of human hands : farm workers and alcohol on a farm in Stellenbosch, South Africa
title_full_unstemmed Fruit of the Vine, work of human hands : farm workers and alcohol on a farm in Stellenbosch, South Africa
title_short Fruit of the Vine, work of human hands : farm workers and alcohol on a farm in Stellenbosch, South Africa
title_sort fruit of the vine work of human hands farm workers and alcohol on a farm in stellenbosch south africa
topic Social Anthropology
url http://hdl.handle.net/11427/10342
work_keys_str_mv AT dekockalanaeileen fruitofthevineworkofhumanhandsfarmworkersandalcoholonafarminstellenboschsouthafrica