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Overview
Calling on a decade of participant observation at a residence for mentally retarded adults, anthropologist Michael V. Angrosino's riveting and de-mystifying account offers an insider's picture of the lives of the inhabitants of Opportunity House. Using the narrative device of a dozen fictional short stories told in the voices of various community members as well as that of the researcher, Angrosino weaves a life-histories approach to ethnography together with an innovative culture concept to tackle the complexities of representing marginalized subgroups. As opposed to traditional clinical or statistical studies, which have insufficiently conveyed the subjective and experiential perspectives of retarded people themselves, Angrosino presents an intimate and complex picture of a highly functioning community with its cast of entrepreneurs, bullies, victims, and do-gooders. This wonderfully readable and captivating account is therefore an important resource for those interested in mental illness and disability, as well as a model for those experimenting with forms of ethnographic writing.
Synopsis
Calling on a decade of participant observation at a residence for mentally retarded adults, anthropologist Michael Angrosino's riveting and demystifying account offers an insider's picture of the lives of the inhabitants of Opportunity House. Using a dozen fictional short stories told in the voices of various community members, as well as in that of the researcher, Angrosino uses a life-histories approach to ethnography together with an innovative culture concept to tackle the complexities of representing marginalized groups. As opposed to traditional clinical or statistical studies, which insufficiently conveyed the subjective and experiential perspectives of individuals themselves, Angrosino presents an intimate and complex picture of a highly functioning community with its cast of entrepreneurs, bullies, victims, and do-gooders. This account is a resource for those interested in mental illness and disability, as well as a model for those experimenting with forms of ethnographic writing.
Editorials
Choice
Opportunity House is a collection of fictionalized stories about individuals who are classified as mentally retarded, written by an anthropologist who has conducted research and community service in a home for retarded adults in Florida. Angrosino is especially interested in the deinstitutionalization of the chronically mentally ill and their interactions in the wider society. His book is one of a series stressing experimental forms of qualitative writing that blur the boundaries between social science and the humanities. Because of the fictional quality of the stories, the volume is accessible to a wider readership than is usual for anthropological and ethnographic writing. Interspersed with the stories are helpful interviews with the author in which he explains his methods, insights, and perspectives.— L. Beck, (Washington University)