Brittany
Peters
Ethnography
Review Paper
10-14-12
A Review of Righteous Dopefiend
Suburbanites and inner-city individuals
may be separated by area codes but often share a similar lack of understanding
and stigmatization towards the homeless populations of cities. In general, the
middle class Americans who are the majority of passersby only see the most
mundane fact of the homeless: they are without a home. Rarely is there time to
sit and talk to the men and women that are panhandling, flying a sign, or quietly
minding their own business. In return of this lack of time to devote to talking
with these individuals, stale thoughts remain trapped in an ideological box of judgment.
Nevertheless, through ethnographic research a better understanding is gained
and all facets of the lives of homeless men and women can be given a new light.
In this particular ethnography, Righteous
Dopefiend, a research team assimilates into a small population of homeless
heroin injectors of San Francisco to better understand their narratives, past
and present, and how ethnicity, gender, and childhood memories/experiences have
shaped it.
This ethnography was organized in a
manner that followed the “analytical themes related to the power relations and
historical and institutional forces that shaped their [Edgewater homeless]
lives”(Bourgois and Schonberg 2009:21). In the first three chapters of Righteous Dopefiend ethnic, gender, and
hierarchal relationships between the Edgewater homeless are discussed. Chapter
one specifies the racial divisions present in the encampments surrounding
Edgewater Boulevard as well as the almost contradictory mutual dependence
connecting all ethnicities present. Chapter one also attempts to dissect the unclear
development of homelessness. In the second chapter gender relations are
analyzed and the complicated distinction between sex work and romanticism from
Tina’s perspective is described. The beginning of the third chapter establishes
the hierarchal relationship between the homeless on the Edgewater Boulevard
scene. Concluding the third chapter the ethnographic team’s review of both
local and governmental programs and institutions and how they affect every
facet of the lives of the Edgewater homeless.
In chapters 4-6 the relationship between
the past and the present are explored through childhood experiences and
memories along with the categorization of the Edgewater homeless as adolescents
coming of age in an era of “sex, drugs, and rock and roll”. In chapters four
and the beginning of chapter five familial dynamics of the Edgewater homeless
childhoods and their transitions between teen and adulthood is examined. In the
end of chapter five and chapter six, it is asserted that the present economic
and familial struggles that are being faced by the homeless are reflections of
the past. The main point of these chapters was that the psyche of each
individual on the Edgewater homeless scene was shaped by childhood traumas
either of a sexual, mental, or physical abuse. This trauma was reflected in
their present lives through PTSD type episodes, linguistic styles, overall
demeanor, and most importantly it influenced the relationship, or lack thereof,
between themselves and their children.
Chapters 7-9 revisit the topic of
gender relations and sexuality through an alternate interpretation as well as
discussing everyday problems that afflict the homeless such as sickness and
disease. The beginning of chapter seven focuses on the dichotomy between
homophobia and homosocial love relationships. The relationship between two of
the homeless men, while not described or viewed in a sexualized manner,
represents a homosocial relationship on the Edgewater Boulevard scene. This
part of the ethnography depicts the complicated aspects of a male running
partner dynamic and then necessity of other homeless to define it with a sexual
label, but at the same time both men adamantly homophobic. The end of chapter
seven assess the biomedical afflictions affecting the Edgewater homeless and how
the dysfunctional U.S. medical system allows this group of individuals to fall
through the cracks. While offering a critique of the U.S. medical system, the
ethnographic team is faced with the stark knowledge that the lifestyle lead by
the Edgewater homeless is one leading to death conjointly with immense physical
and psychological suffering. Chapter eight takes a “real time” perspective of
the everyday accounts given by the Edgewater homeless. A day in the life of a
homeless man or woman on Edgewater Boulevard is illustrated through the field
notes taken by the team of the accounts three aspects of life: working by
conducting licks (stealing items) or flying a sign, fixing (getting high), and
dopesickness. In the final chapter, the psychologically and physically painful
process of detoxification and treatment is explored through personal accounts
of attempts to quit heroin.
An interesting similarity between this
ethnography and global health is the concern of HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS has been one of the most developed
global health topics which have been discussed around the world in literature,
documentaries, and policies. In the blog post written by Molly Reid talked
about how the percent of HIV/AIDS infected American citizens in Washington D.C.
is higher than in six African nations (2012). This begs the question why are
there more American based organizations with a concern for the people of Africa
rather than fighting to lower the domestic infectious rates? While there is no
answer to this question, it is important to note the differences between public
assistance, fighting for the same cause, to foreign and domestic alliances. Also in the annual publication World Health
Watch it was stated that “between 2002 and 2006, 75 per cent of the additional funding
to health was allocated to HIV/AIDS” (Shukla, Abhay, et. al 98). Taking ¾ of an
additional budget clearly identifies that HIV/AIDS is possibly the largest area
of concern in the global health community. It is also important to see that
that funding was distributed through the global south on behalf of the global
north, still leaving HIV/AIDS prevention in industrialized nations on the rise
and/or undertreated. In Righteous
Dopefiend there are multiple field notes documenting the discussions about
HIV/AIDS and its prevalence in the community (50, 70, 198, 242, etc.) Another
common message in relation to HIV/AIDS was opportunities provided by needle
exchange programs (41, 106, 11, 118, 222, etc.). This program was the only
program that was given positive feedback from the ethnographic team as well as
something that they continually reminded the Edgewater homeless about. The
slogans of HIV prevention campaigns, although a source of mockery, were being
passed by word of mouth around the community. Unfortunately it is important to
note that while the Edgewater homeless were aware of the devastation that
HIV/AIDS causes, the heroin high was above all physical, mental, and social
dangers associated with it, including this terminal disease.
A connection that was made between the
Righteous Dopefiend and some of the
readings, videos, and a blog post written is how San Francisco authorities such
as the “Caltrans” and Sand Francisco Police officers are depicted as bad guys
and how biomedicine is often illustrated as a domineering force over the natural
healing/alternative medicine practices of third world nations. To all others,
authorities such as the local police department, DOT officers, and
doctors/medical professionals are of no concern and often the heroes, but for
the homeless of Edgewater Boulevard this was not the case. On multiple
occasions DOT officers known as Caltrans maliciously demolished encampments,
took their blankets and clothing all without warning. Some doctors would even
unethically perform abscess surgeries without anesthesia (101). A similar theme of perceived atrocities from
a pharmacological perspective was in the movie Clinical Trails Overseas that showed
the pharmaceutical market expanding their trial drugs in severely impoverished nations
such as India(Fault Lines). These trials were conducted without informed
consent along with other unethical practices such as giving Indian citizens the
choice between trail health care or no healthcare at all. Another way in which
biomedicine can be perceived as an overbearing force is in the general idea of
Global Health. To many people global health is the practice that the global
north uses through biomedicine, to provide ‘magic bullet’ practices for the
global south with little or no regard to the native practices to areas of
concern. Carlie Anderson writes of the constant battle between biomedicine and
an alternate medical practice of India known as Ayurveda(Anderson). This blog
clearly outlines the differences between natural medicines and biomedicine,
mentioning the healing of the soul and mind as a major difference. Also this
blog asserts that centering healing around the soul and mind rather than strictly
the physiology of the patient may create a more devoted patient to healing
including a change of mind about certain biomedical treatments(Anderson). I
think that this theme of authority acting as a bad guy rather than the hero is
prevalent throughout history but particularly offensive in the case of the
Edgewater homeless and biomedicine vs. alternate medicine. There is a glaring dichotomy
that is present within the authorities in the case of the Edgewater homeless,
they take advantage of the fact that their help is sought out by individuals
and then in return harm them through a process masquerading as health care.
Finally the most important point worth
examining is how the ethnographic team during the twelve years the spent on
Edgewater Boulevard acted as public anthropologists that actively helped the
lives of the homeless in multiple ways. Along with the work that they did
during the research, after concluding the study a bigger question remains: what
can be done to help the lives of homeless heroin injectors in the San Francisco
area? In the conclusion there are multiple points made about medical and environmental
policies that were enacted while they were researching or shortly after their
field work had ended(311). These harm reduction techniques included a mobile psychiatric
clinic, mobile abscess clinic, mobile needle exchange programs to name a few(303).
While these programs could have been in the framework before the ethnographic
team started their fieldwork it is also possible that their presence and
interest drew to light the need for assistance particularly in the public
health sector. As a class the purpose of public anthropology has been discussed
the and in quiz section it has been incorporated with almost every topic. While
too often public social problems such as homelessness are overlooked because of
their deteriorating lifestyle, it is important that necessary programs and
institutions are in place in order to help with any affliction they may face
including but not limited to drug abuse, mental illness, and alcoholism. By
acting as the mediator between all participants, policy makers, local, and
federal governments, nonprofit coalitions, public anthropologists can advocate
for change for unheard or unnoticed populations such as the Edgewater homeless.
Reading, reviewing, and analyzing
the ethnography Righteous Dopefiend has
provided an in-depth understanding of the meaning and purpose of ethnographic
research as well as the applications of public anthropology. While this
specific ethnography provided context on a sub group of heroin injectors in San
Francisco, broader messages within this work can transcend this explicit
population. The ethnic, gender, and childhood memories are themes that are
factors present whenever you are dealing with people. Righteous Dopefiend made it clear that present situations are not
the only common trait between populations, as evident in the shared childhood
memories of sexual, mental, or physical abuse. Another important theme was
public anthropologists as advocates for the impoverished. This is seen in the
continual critiques made by the ethnographic team about the local and
governmental policies and organizations that dramatically exacerbate the
conditions afflicting the Edgewater homeless. The benefits of fieldwork are
numerous and if everyone took time to read the products of this work, such as
ethnographies, then in addition to a better understanding about the group of
people being studied, alternate ideologies and theories can be applied to
outside problems allowing for more holistic approaches and possibly solutions.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Anderson,
Carlie
2012 Western v. Indigenous Practices and the
Benefits of Both.
Bourgois,
Philippe, and Jeff Schonberg
2009 Righteous Dopefiend. Berkeley:
University of California Press.
Fault
Lines
2008 Outsourced: Trials Overseas
Reid,
Molly
2012 DC HIV Efforts: Challenge to what we
learned in class, or support for it?
Shukla,
Abhay, et. al.
2011 Global
Health Watch 3: An Alternative World Health Report. London: Zed Books Ltd.
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