Abstract

This study highlights the impact of alcohol on the health of the elderly in Agni-Sanwi society in Côte d'Ivoire. In relation to their representations of Gin and Rum, the elderly consume them excessively during various cultural practices. The study therefore aims to understand the social representations of these strong liqueurs in that society. In a qualitative approach, interviews and group discussions were conducted from January 17 to February 28 2019, with 28 people within the age range of 60 and above, who make up the chiefdom and Elders of this social environment. The thematic analysis of the content of the speeches given by them reveals that Gin symbolizes the vertical relationship with the ancestors and Rum symbolizes joy and restores the horizontal relationship between the brothers of the community. These two liqueurs are therefore positively represented there. However, their excessive consumption by the elderly induces various diseases which, in a context of therapeutic trial and error, condition them to pathological aging.

Key words: Representational system, alcohol, elderly people, pathological aging, Côte d'ivoire.