Fatima Freeman Cultural Anthropology May 17, 2012 Critically Applied Anthropology 1 In the book Righteous Dopefiend Philippe

Bourgois and Jeff Schonberg live under extreme poverty among the Edgewater Community Homeless that are heroin addicts to study how they live when their lives are controlled by the substance known as heroin (Bourgois and Schonberg 2009). Therefore, in the conclusion of the Righteous Dopefiend the authors explain that applied work is never straightforward politically, theoretically or practically is what describes critically applied anthropology (2009: 297). Therefore, the ethnography Righteous Dopefiend provides many examples of if Philippe Bourgois and Jeff Schonberg were to achieve any form of social justice to their research (2009). In my opinion, I think that the social justice that the authors of this ethnography display are to question whether a heroin addict should be humanized or if a heroin addict should be exploited (2009). Bourgois and Schonberg have displayed numerous information about the characters in the ethnography Righteous Dopefiend for the reader to determine whether these Edgewater Community Homeless heroin addicts are been humanized or exploited by their study through the ethnography (2009). Therefore, just from reading Righteous Dopefiend I have come to the conclusion and from viewing many of the photos that are displayed in the ethnography that the characters are been humanized by their research (2009). For example, in the last chapter,

Treatment, when Tina enters the detox program the photo says it all and the photo shows that Tina is in an emotional state during the ordeal of entering the detox program (2009). Plus, the photo shows that for Tina that it is an emotional turmoil for her and that she cannot hold back how she feels toward entering the detox program (2009). Furthermore, the fact that the photo is displayed in the ethnography shows that a heroin addict does have regret to the fact that it has come to a point in their lives that they must enter rehab in order to rid their lives of a substance that has that much control over their lives. The ethnography does display many different photos that do show the humanity of the heroin addicts that are a part of the Edgewater Community (2009). However, the photos can be considered a form of exploitation towards the heroin addicts that live in the Edgewater Community, but these photos can be considered to be a form of humanizing the heroin addicts that are a part of the Edgewater Community (2009). Plus, from the Edgewater Community homeless heroin addicts telling their story to Bourgois and Schonberg helps the reader to draw a better picture of how what the ethnography Righteous Dopefiend is truly about (2009). In order for Bourgois and Schonberg to understand the daily lives of these heroin addicts that has become homeless in the Edgewater Community is by the authors involving themselves in their daily lives to gain the critical information that is needed not just to write the ethnography Righteous Dopefiend, but to grasp an understanding of how these heroin addicts live their lives that is basically controlled by a substance heroin (2009). Therefore, the social justice that Bourgois and Schonberg are trying to achieve through Righteous Dopefiend is not only do they involve the heroin addicts in the Edgewater Community to the ethnography, but they also involve themselves in the heroin addicts everyday lives (2009). Plus, they include some critical information about how the characters come to be heroin addicts and homeless in

the Edgewater Community (2009). As for the critically applied public anthropology that is considered to be the form of research that is been used for the research in Righteous Dopefiend that Bourgois and Schonberg apply to researching the heroin addicts in the Edgewater Community is considered a way that the authors involved themselves in the daily habits that the heroin addicts achieved every day to get their fix of heroin (2009). However, based on the last chapter, Treatment, Bourgois and Schonberg also discuss the lack of post-detox programs that America lacks (2009, 9: 280-287). As for the ethnography Righteous Dopefiend and humanizing the heroin addicts of the Edgewater Community is by not just reading the ethnography (2009). However, it is by taking a closer look at the photos that are displayed in the ethnography that display many of the activities that these heroin addicts get involved in that does not always include them shooting up heroin (2009). For example, when the ethnography brings up the topic about parenting and Philippe Bourgois shows up at the encampment of the Edgewater Community, where the homeless heroin addicts live, with his son this shows the humanity of Philippe Bourgois (2009). However, the ethnography is not based on how Philippe Bourgois lives his life, but the ethnography is based off how the homeless heroin addicts live their lives in the Edgewater Community when their lives are controlled by heroin (2009). Therefore, many of the heroin addicts see Philippe Bourgoiss son and he gets them engaged in a conversation about their love lives as well as if they are parents themselves (2009). Therefore, the humanity of these heroin addicts comes through when they begin to talk about their ex-wives and the children that they do have (2009). In the ethnography Carter begins to talk about how his son shows up and he told him that he is married with two children of his own (2009). However, Carter makes plans to

meet with his son later that day, but instead he wastes his bus fare on heroin (2009). Therefore, he misses the change to meet his son and possible his daughter in law as well as his grandchildren (2009). Furthermore, whether Carter did or did not meet with his son it still shows the humanity of him having a family (2009). As well in the last chapter, Treatment, the humanity of Carter show through when he graduate from the detox program and he is a counselor to other recovery addicts, but at the end Carter overdoses after relapsing from heroin (2009). Chapter seven in the ethnography Righteous Dopefiend discusses male love between the homeless heroin addicts that live in the Edgewater Community and for man to talk about loving another man is probably a sensitive topic for a man to even consider discussing (2009: 7;210-239). Therefore, Bourgois and Schonberg (2009) display another humanity among these heroin addicts that live in the Edgewater Community that they share a love for one another (2009). However, the ethnography does not just show the love between two men like Hank and petey, but the love that Tina shares with Carter (2009). In conclusion, I find that Bourgois and Schonberg have shown that these homeless heroin addicts that live in the Edgewater Community have some kind of humanity left (2009). Plus, Bourgois and Schonberg have displayed in the ethnography Righteous Dopefiend that they were not always getting high off heroin, but they started out clean (2009). However, Bourgois and Schonberg also displayed how they became homeless and heroin addicts living in the Edgewater Community (2009).

Philippe Bourgois and Jeff Schonberg 2009 Righteous Dopefiend