An interview with Dr Lebot

[Alia]

Thanks to @kasa_balavu explaining this other cultural, and likely much more popular, way of kava drinking.
We had gotten away from the social lubricant style and absolutely, even conflict resolution, very, very
important in Kava Culture.

 

[kavakarma]

When did the tradition of men drinking Kava and not women begin? What may have caused it?

 

[Alia]

This is a complicated question with many detailed answers.
It is examined on page 137 and pages nearby.... of Kava, the Pacific Elixir

 

[TheKavaSociety]

When did the tradition of men drinking Kava and not women begin? What may have caused it?

Probably for similar reasons why women have historically been discouraged from drinking alcohol. Up until the mid 20th century pubs in NZ had few, if any, female patrons

 

[kavakarma]

I need a PDF of that book please.
Living with my mother, I am beginning to understand on my own why men drink Kava anyhow.
If I propose women drink Kava, what literature is there about this? We raise a point. My employer, family, friends, it is only males who drink Kava. While women try my Kava, they do not ask for it or seem to even drink it..

 

[AlexisReal]

Probably for similar reasons why women have historically been discouraged from drinking alcohol. Up until the mid 20th century pubs in NZ had few, if any, female patrons

I would posit also that there may be fundamental differences between the sexes, which naturally draws the male psyche towards Kava, and females far less so.

In relation to different brain chemistry and stress handling/management partly.

Also for men....do women not have the ability to REALLY stress us men out lol?!

I feel women are in general much less interested in escapism. In a way, Kava can be an escapist experience. Not in a negative sense, but in many ways females can be more robust and self supporting vs us feeble at times males.

 

[kavakarma]

I understand.

 

[The Kap'n]

I feel women are in general much less interested in escapism.

(My opinion only)
We must know different women. As far as I can tell we're all running the same operating system with different hardware. I just don't believe evolution had time to make two totally different organisms when the only difference is gender. While our life situations differ, the consciousness that looks out from our eyes is the same.

I've met as many women who were "escape artists" as I have men.

I know this is traditional and "kastom", but honestly I see it as yet another version of sexism that's played out over generations. Everyone should have equal access to life, including kava, regardless of gender. It seems the world is waking up to this, and finally shedding traditions that may have become harmful over the millennia.

 

[AlexisReal]

(My opinion only)
We must know different women. As far as I can tell we're all running the same operating system with different hardware. I just don't believe evolution had time to make two totally different organisms when the only difference is gender. While our life situations differ, the consciousness that looks out from our eyes is the same.

I've met as many women who were "escape artists" as I have men.

I know this is traditional and "kastom", but honestly I see it as yet another version of sexism that's played out over generations. Everyone should have equal access to life, including kava, regardless of gender. It seems the world is waking up to this, and finally shedding traditions that may have become harmful over the millennia.

Thank you for sharing your always very interesting thoughts. And I actually agree with exactly what you are suggesting.

I have lived an incredibly isolated life last 15 years since Lyme basically stole my life away.

So my actual, real life, mingling "field" experience is very limited compared to nost.

However, I do still genuinely feel that there ate some natural differences in male and female brain chemistry, outlook, and physiology, which ptedisposes males more towards kava drinking, especially heavy and daily usage, than females who are more grounded in a way, more responsible.

I reallly don't mean to be sexist, but there are subtle as well as substantial differences between us, and in my university yeats 1999-2003, during which time I had more close female friends than males, and there really was no stigma at that time in Swansea, certainly on and around campus (which was a really spectacular place as well with with an amazing sea view just minutes stroll from the beach at front, and a stunningly beautiful large natural Park at the very back side of the university complex)....

No stigma about or towards female students being as intoxicated or drug addicted, were still very controlled and more independant of compulsive, addictive substance use, be it alcohol, weed, MDMA etc.

I support your view, and of course this has been effectively a cultural pressure conditioned into growing ladie's minds, expectations, standards, duties etc.

However, even without an element of this centuries long suppression, I still really believe that males would be more prone towards heavier kava consumption.

But you have the vast experience which I do not, and I always respect your views and opinions.

 

[RG902]

Very interesting. Thank you!

 

[TheKavaSociety]

I think the gender aspect of it is likely linked to some ancient concerns over the impact of drinking (kava or booze) on pregnancies that may have influenced cultural norms. It's just a wild theory but maybe it was observed over time that women drinking booze or kava were more likely to experience miscarriage and this created a kind of cultural stigma?