Righteous Dopefiend

Philippe Bourgois, Jeffrey Schonberg

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English

University of California Press
29 May 2009

Homelessness; Drug & substance abuse: social aspects

Series: California Series in Public Anthropology

"This powerful work of gonzo journalism, predating the widespread acknowledgement of the opioid epidemic as such, immerses the reader in the world of homelessness and drug and alcohol abuse in the contemporary United States. For over a decade Philippe Bourgois and Jeff Schonberg followed a social network of two dozen heroin injectors and crack smokers in the San Francisco drug scene, accompanying them as they scrambled to generate income through burglary, larceny, panhandling, recycling, and day labor. Righteous Dopefiend interweaves stunning black-and-white photography with vivid dialogue, oral biography, detailed field notes, and critical theoretical analysis to viscerally illustrate the life of a drug addict. Its gripping narrative develops a cast of characters around the themes of violence, racism and race relations, sexuality, trauma, embodied suffering, social inequality, and power relations. The result is a dispassionate chronicle of fixes and overdoses; of survival, loss, caring, and hope rooted in the drug abusers’ determination to hang on for one more day, through a ""moral economy of sharing"" that precariously balances mutual solidarity and interpersonal betrayal."

By: Philippe Bourgois, Jeffrey Schonberg
Imprint: University of California Press
Country of Publication: United States
Edition: 1
Volume: 21
Dimensions: Height: 241mm, Width: 178mm, Spine: 23mm
Weight: 998g
ISBN: 9780520254985
ISBN 10: 0520254988
Series: California Series in Public Anthropology
Pages: 392
Publication Date: 29 May 2009
Audience: College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , Professional & Vocational , A / AS level , Further / Higher Education
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Introduction: A Theory of Lumpen Abuse 1. Intimate Apartheid 2. Falling in Love 3. A Community of Addicted Bodies 4. Childhoods 5. Making Money 6. Parenting 7. Male Love 8. Everyday Addicts 9. Treatment Conclusion: Critically Applied Public Anthropology References Notes on the Photographs Acknowledgments

Philippe Bourgois is Richard Perry University Professor of Anthropology and Family and Community Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Jeff Schonberg is a photographer and a graduate student in medical anthropology at the University of California, San Francisco.

Reviews for Righteous Dopefiend

"""A deeply nuanced picture of a population that cannot escape social reprobation, but deserves social inclusion... The collage of case studies, field notes, personal narratives and photography is nothing short of enthralling."" - Starred Review Publishers Weekly ""Get this book and read it... A hell of a story... These people walk by you every day and should not remain invisible."" San Francisco Bay Guardian ""Leaders and readers alike should pay attention to - and heed its warnings and advice... Unflinching and objective... Must be read - and seen."" San Francisco Chronicle ""The authors dare you to ignore the subculture in their field notes and arresting black-and-white images, urging that our failed social systems need repairing and we cannot continue to let these outliers remain invisible."" Utne ""Recommended."" Choice ""One of the most original and important works of its kind... A pathbreaking photo-ethnography, powerful in presentation, content and scope... A must-read, [it] will rock the world of the sheltered middle class and shed new light on the pervasive structural inequalities plaguing contemporary society."" -- Elijah Anderson, author of Streetwise: Race, Class, and Change in an Urban Community. Philadelphia Inquirer ""Truly remarkable book."" -- Grazyna Zajdow Arena Magazine ""Powerfully candid."" Zocalo (The Public Square Blog) ""With a combination of photographs, dialogue, field notes and critical theory, the book provides a detailed analysis of the social structure of an underground society in contemporary America."" Roof Magazine ""This book offers as complete and disturbing a view as can be had of just how awful and intractable street life in San Francisco can get."" San Francisco Chronicle"