Beer as a Locus of Value among the West African Kofyar 1

Abstract

A field study of a West African group, providing a case in which drinking is frequent & highly valued, while alcohol is not a problem. The Kofyar, a hill pagan tribe of sedentary subststence farmers in Northern Nigeria, focus a great deal of cultural interest on the preparation, distribution, & consumption of millet beer, which defines soc relationships. It serves as a reward for volunteer agri'al labor & is sold for cash, fulfilling both traditional econ requirements & those of the modern market. Religious & magical rites involve beer libations. The products of fermentation are a valuable addition to a cereal diet, & both food value & taste are appreciated by the Kofyar. A mild euphoria is sought, but no efforts are made to increase the alcohol content of 3 to 5%. Drinking is slow & always done in a group. Every household can brew, thus preventing the monopolization of beer. Dysfunctional effects of drinking are minimized by strict sanctions against violence, though verbal aggression at beer parties is not discouraged. Sexual joking is freely indulged in, but promiscuity at a beer drink is strongly disapproved. In situations of fear & anxiety such as illness, witchcraft hearings, & natural disaster, beer is avoided, & pathological alcoholism is not present. As the functional network of the beer complex ramifies into SE, & religious spheres, the possibilities of using alcohol for private psychol'al ends are minimized. Beer's value to the individual as nourishment & anxiety reducer is reinforced & ultimately outweighed by the soc values associated with It. Modified AA.