Alcohol consumption as an anti-structural manifestation among the Sentani people in Papua, Indonesia

This study examines alcohol consumption among the Sentani people in Papua as a manifestation of anti-structure within socio-cultural life. The research aims to analyze how structural pressures from customary leadership systems and social transformation influence alcohol consumption behavior among the Sentani community. This study employed a qualitative descriptive case study approach using anthropological perspectives. Data were collected through literature review, observation, and in-depth interviews. The findings reveal that alcohol consumption among the Sentani people is closely related to cultural crises, social marginalization, globalization, and rigid customary structures represented by the Ondofolo leadership system. Alcohol consumption functions not only as a social activity but also as a medium of protest, self-expression, solidarity, and social bonding among marginalized groups experiencing liminality. The study concludes that alcoholism among the Sentani people cannot merely be understood as an individual behavioral problem but rather as a socio-cultural phenomenon associated with structural violence, cultural transformation, and changing social relations in Papua.