Abstract:
An observational study and an attitude test was conducted in hotels in Auckland, to test the validity of statements made by the press indicating violence and crimes by Polynesians as alcohol-related. Primarily, the study was confined to two main issues: the relation between alcohol consumption and violence ratings of hotels, and whether ethnic groups differ in their alcohol consumption.
A preliminary observation selected three ethnic groups: Europeans, New Zealand Maoris, and Pacific Islanders. Observation proper took place in public bars and private bars of six hotels rated by security guards on a continuum from most violent to least.
Results from both studies indicated that alcohol consumption and hotel violence ratings were positively related. This relationship was not peculiar to any ethnic group. Alcohol consumption by ethnic groups and violence ratings are determined by the type of bar where consumption takes place, alcohol type, group size, and sex of companions. The interaction of these factors establish behaviour patterns which confirm stereotypes of Polynesians by the mass media.
