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Using responses in social media for generating research questions: Lessons from a post on alcohol and GBV during COVID-19

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Author: Ranjani K Murthy, August 1 2020 - Recently I posted on Facebook: "If domestic violence is on rise during post COVID period when alcohol sale was banned in Chennai [India] was male alcohol consumption never the primary reason for domestic violence [or gender-based violence (GBV)]?"

The above post was based on the fact that alcohol consumption was high in urban Tamil Nadu [India] during pre-COVID days (2015-2016), at 46% for men (0.5% for women) for the age group of 15-49 years (IIPS, 2017). The government policy on opening of liquor shops (government run in Tamil Nadu) post COVID-19 kept wavering, and, as of this writing, liquor shops remain closed in the state capital city of Chennai, as well as in parts of Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Chengalpattu districts (Kabirdoss, 2020). Discussions over the phone or in person with domestic workers, women who delivered ironed clothes, and women vegetable vendors revealed that male alcohol consumption had stopped or declined (purchased on the black market). It was commonly believed that excess alcohol consumption was one of the main reasons for domestic violence. At the same time, there were media reports that domestic violence was going up in Tamil Nadu, based on the distress calls to women's helplines (Emmanuel, 2020).

My post on Facebook led to a heated debate from my 'friends'. The responses varied from "Has alcohol consumption really come down?" to a variety of new perspectives on the links/lack of link between alcohol consumption and domestic violence, which are discussed below.

One male friend expressed his belief that domestic violence increased with consumption of alcohol, and he could not understand how, post COVID-19, when alcohol was not being sold, there was an increase in domestic violence. Four female friends expressed that several factors underpinned domestic violence: unemployment/poverty, patriarchy, and alcohol consumption, and perhaps the other two factors were becoming more prevalent. Yet another opinion - from a male and female friend each - was that alcohol consumption by men was never the problem, as men rarely hit unknown strangers in the street after heavy consumption, but mainly hit their wives or children. They perceived that patriarchy was the main problem. Another view - from a male friend - was that withdrawal symptoms may have led to increase in domestic violence.

Thus, emerging questions are:

  • Is there really a change in alcohol consumption of men due to a ban on liquor sales in Chennai post COVID-19? Or do men simply buy alcohol on the black market?
  • Is there really an increase in domestic violence, or are more women reporting the same due to having greater time on their hands during lockdown?
  • Is there a change in employment/income of men and women in households? What were the household coping strategies earlier and post COVID-19?
  • What is the support available for men (and women) who were addicted to alcohol when access was suddenly withdrawn? If none, how did they cope?
  • Were men who were in the past addicted to alcohol and abusive of their wives also abusive of unknown people? Other relatives?
  • Why are so many men and women in Chennai city depending on the informal sector? Do threats to their ability to be breadwinners enhance domestic violence? Do women also expect them to be breadwinners?

Social media can be a good venue to flesh out these and other questions and concepts.

References
Emmanuel, Gladwin. 2020. "Tamil Nadu reports 616 domestic violence cases during COVID-20." Mumbai Mirror, May 21, 2020.
Kabirdoss, Yogesh. 2020. "Lockdown: Will Chennai liquor shops open during August?" Times of India, July 20, 2020.
International Institute of Population Sciences, 2017, National Family Health Survey 2015-2016, State Fact Sheet, Tamil Nadu, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, New Delhi.

Image credit: Journal.Beer

 

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