41 pages • 1 hour read
Philippe Bourgois, Jeffrey SchonbergRighteous Dopefiend
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2008A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
Righteous Dopefiend by Philippe Bourgois and Jeffrey Schonberg is a photo-ethnography detailing the lives of individuals experiencing homelessness and drug addiction in San Francisco's Edgewater Boulevard over 12 years, emphasizing the socio-economic impacts of neoliberal policies and globalization, and arguing for humanizing marginalized populations by highlighting structural issues over criminalization. Sensitive topics include drug addiction, homelessness, and systemic socio-economic challenges.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Righteous Dopefiend by Philippe Bourgois and Jeffrey Schonberg is widely praised for its immersive ethnographic approach, capturing the lives of homeless heroin addicts in San Francisco. Reviewers commend its raw, empathetic portrayal and critical societal insights. Some critique it as emotionally heavy and question its generalizability. Overall, it's impactful and thought-provoking.
Who Should Read Righteous Dopefiend?
Readers of Righteous Dopefiend by Philippe Bourgois and Jeffrey Schonberg are likely to be intrigued by ethnographic studies and social anthropology. Comparable to fans of Evicted by Matthew Desmond and The Corner by David Simon and Edward Burns, these readers are drawn to deep, humanistic explorations of marginalized communities.
RecommendedReading Age
18+yearsBook Details
Addiction / Substance Abuse
Sociology
History: U.S.
Journalism
Information Age
Society: Community
Society: Globalization
Society: Class