NCJ Number
26948
Date Published
1973
Length
345 pages
Annotation
EXAMINATION OF THE FACTORS WHICH CAUSE AND PERPETUATE THE SKID ROW PROBLEMS OF HOMELESSNESS AND ALCOHOLISM, A LOOK AT THE SOCIAL ORGANIZATION OF SKID ROW, AND A REVIEW OF HISTORICAL AND CONTEMPORARY MODES OF TREATMENT.
Abstract
THIS TREATMENT OF SKID ROW DRAWS TOGETHER THE POPULAR AND RESEARCH LITERATURE ON THE SUBJECT, COMBINING THE WORK OF HISTORIANS, JOURNALISTS, AND PROFESSIONAL REHABILITATION AGENTS (PSYCHIATRISTS, PSYCHOLOGISTS, AND SOCIAL WORKERS) WITH THE FINDINGS OF SOCIOLOGISTS. A CENTRAL ARGUMENT IS THAT THE SKID ROW MAN'S IMPUTED DEFECTIVENESS AND POWERLESSNESS PREDISPOSE HIM TO INVOLVEMENT IN A VICIOUS CIRCLE OF NEGATIVE ENCOUNTERS WHICH SERVE TO BIND HIM TO SKID ROW, LOWER HIS SELFESTEEM, AND REAFFIRM THE IDEA THAT HE IS HOPELESS AND UNSALVAGEABLE. CRUCIAL TO THE STUDY IS THE EXAMINATION OF THE WAY SKID ROW MEN ARE VIEWED BY OTHER PEOPLE. A COMPOSITE PICTURE IS DRAWN FROM NEWSPAPER AND MAGAZINE ACCOUNTS, NATIONAL ATTITUDE SURVEYS, FIRST-HAND ACCOUNTS OF SKID ROW LIFE, AND NUMEROUS SOCIAL SCIENTIFIC ANALYSES. THE AUTHOR ALSO DISCUSSES HOMELESS WOMEN, AND PROVIDES THE CONCLUSIONS OF ORIGINAL RESEARCH AT THE WOMEN'S EMERGENCY SHELTER IN NEW YORK CITY. THROUGHOUT, THE BOOK SQUARELY CONFRONTS ALCOHOLISM, NOW CONSIDERED THE CHIEF PATHOLOGY OF HOMELESS MEN. CURRENT TREATMENT TECHNIQUES AND PROGRAMS ARE DESCRIBED AND EVALUATED. FINALLY, THE AUTHOR ILLUSTRATES THE UTILITY OF THESE STUDIES NOT ONLY FOR UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEMS WHICH BESET SKID ROW MEN, BUT ALSO FOR THE INSIGHTS PROVIDED INTO MORE GENERAL PROBLEMS OF DISAFFILIATION IN MODERN SOCIETY, SUCH AS AGING, MENTAL ILLNESS, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ALIENATION. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)