A tough book. Johnson pulls no punches. He looks clearly at the problem of alcohol and its consequences in native communities in Canada. Some of his ideas and points can spin off into Canadian society in general. He shows a good understanding of the subtleties of this issue, and the many hot buttons that surround it, which make it so hard to discuss and explore solutions. He collects interesting, sometimes surprising, statistics on the role of alcohol in a variety of crimes and injuries, where you see alcohol behind so much of the accidental deaths and legal charges in society - even though this is never discussed openly as a problem. He explores the difference between addiction and alcohol abuse. He looks at the economic effects of alcohol abuse in the North - they are not all negative. So many justice system, health system and social work jobs depend on the continued abuse of alcohol and all the problems it creates.
His most interesting idea is that everything is stories. The story you tell yourself about alcohol, the image you create of it, the role you assign it in your life, is at the root of the problem. To change the situation, you, your community, your society, need a different story. This, of course, can be applied to many other aspects of your life.
He also looks at what he refers to as the victim story, which justifies or explains so many of the issues native communities face. He points out how the victim story leaves you powerless to effect a change to your own situation, as the victim story is one of powerlessness and submission.
Underneath it all, his main stress is personal responsibility and choice.
Insightful analysis of a difficult situation. Some hard ideas and thoughts. Personal and from the inside.
There are implications in this book RE the nanny state issue. Native people in Canada have been living in a nanny state for far longer than the rest of us because of the Indian Act. Many issues that are beginning to be discussed around guaranteed income and giving people "in need" personal choice and control in redirecting their lives.
No comments:
Post a Comment