Crack-Selling & Social Marginalization: A Postmodern Analysis of East Harlem - Essay Sample

Introduction

In search of respect, selling crack in El Barrio forms the basic foundation of Phillippe's Bourgois contribution to the postmodern anthropology. In his analysis, Bourgois seek to ascertain how the concept of social marginalization at the core of American city affects the lives of the citizens (Bourgois, 2003). Notably, an ethnography of the famous Puerto Rican drug lot, which he gets an opportunity to interact with in the Spanish East Harlem, depicts an account of economic and life struggle under the apartheid hard times, which are experienced with the primary objective of achieving respect. Bourgois had such objectives, including bridging the socio-economic and colossal gap of the middle-class American societies. He is impacted by multiple ignorant perceptions that all drug addicts, dealers, and criminals are immoral people and focuses on the concept of societal denial that has failed to grant them the opportunity to be decent people (Bourgois, 2003). He perceives this situation as a predisposition of poverty in which a person chooses to be in. However, he offers some light but indicating that, despite the harsh realities of the circumstance, one has to survive and earn respect, which he believes is a desire of restoring human dignity. Bourgois arguments are based on cultural reproduction theories which empirically present his claims. Ideally, the ethnographic rights of Bourgois should not give him the right to 'preach' about public policy concerns. The argument will be explored while taking into consideration the origin of his solutions to the problem.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Ethnographic Analysis and Public Policy Concerns

The ethnographical analysis involves the study of a specific culture and its facets, implying that it is detailed as it examines part of the whole and societal relationship that exist between individuals. It comprises close examination and analysis of cultural behavior, custom, processes and justice structure (Bourgois, 2003). Therefore, in their attempts to study the society, ethnographers, including Bourgois, should present their findings and recommendation of any changes, if any, to the concerned societal governance structures dealing with public concerns. The limits of the ethnographers are defined by the final results of their study, and thus, they should not assume the role of 'preaching' about public policy concerns.

Notably, Bourgois attempted to present the effect of structural inequality through the social lives of Puerto Rican Crack users and dealers in Harlem. Therefore, he creates a perception of verbatim history from his interaction with the drug addicts, dealers, and the police officers who, on some occasions, mistaken him to be a drug addict (Bourgois, 2003). Bourgoi's study has been largely based on observation, and it is worth perceiving that his final research result and a true depiction of societal practices, including poverty and related injustices. Bourgois has experienced ethnic and poverty segregation in New York City, which is one of the most expensive cities in the world. Through poverty and racial segregation, he advocates for the search for respect by preaching on the implementation of multiple public policy concerns that would mitigate the above undesirable aspects.

Ideally, his remarkable ethnographic analysis should not make him preach on public policy issues, which is a role assumed majorly by political analyst and politicians. Notably, public policy issues or concerns of the society rest with the state or government. The government is charged with the responsibility of developing and implementing sound and effective public policy issues that offer protection and regulation on multiple aspects, including culture and society. However, the current policies may have loophole and, thus, multiple ethnographic studies in related aspects. Despite having the democratic rights of expression and freedom of speech, Bourgois should only express his opinion for consideration, and 'preaching' on public policy issues does seem appropriate as it may seem like attacking and overlooking the current public policies issues.

For instance, the main focus of Bourgois research was to make the mainstream comprehend the main problems of the city; therefore, once achieving his objective, he should let the city governance structure deal with the recommendations. The book mainly focuses on the daily activities of the crack dealers, and he categorically cautions that the book is not all about drugs or crack but the state of the drug in the inner parts of the city, which have been the symptoms of marginalization (Bourgois, 2003). Therefore, through offering multiple solutions to the plague of marginalization, he implies that there exists a reasonable party that should see into his recommendations; hence preaching about public policy issues should not hold.

Basis of Proposed Solution

The proposed solution of Bourgois emerges from the research he conducted. Based on the results, he offers multiple solutions in which racial segregation could be mitigated through effective public policy issues. Therefore, it cannot be presumed that the proposed solution is based on his profession or borrowed from other social scientific contexts. He stipulates that the socio-economic challenges faced by the people of El Barrion are not merely a product of their activities, but also a greater set of structural framework and events in which they are part of (Bourgois, 2003). Therefore, it is from this research of the society that the above results were derived and later offering solutions to mitigate the problem. Bourgois asserts that involvement in selling drugs by the locals creates a situation of illegal underground activities making the poor access the essentials based on these loopholes, the poor would not be able to access illegal drugs were it not for the underground activities (Bourgois, 2003). Based on the results of his recommendation, Bourgois offers solutions that effective public policy measures should be put in place to block the underground activities, which will, in turn, save the soceity from further marginalization.

He focusses mainly on the basics of the underground economy, which the poor use to earn their daily livings. Notably, as mentioned earlier, Bourgois research is based on observation. He gets an opportunity to interact with drug dealers who, through conversation, determines that most of the people resorted to selling drugs after being frustrated in life and not eventually achieving their dream. He recommends putting in place public policies that would ensure that all people get meaningful education and get good employment instead of working factories under low wages and as low as the age of twelve. (Bourgois, 2003). Through the implementation of these policies, many would not resort to underground businesses to earn a living. Therefore, it is evident that the possible solutions of Bourgois are from the research he conducted. Moreover, Bourgois also recommends that the fear of society can reinforce loyalty and respect, and society can have respect through the abandonment of illegal means of livelihood like drug dealing.

Right of Pronouncement

Most public decisions and debates are concerned with social organizations and public policies. The social scientists can take the lead in making the society a better place by whispering in the ears of those who have the mandate to make decisions concerning public policies. Therefore, it is evident that Sociologists have no power to make political or public concern pronouncement. Notably, the social scientist is rightly perceived as a field that majorly focuses on inquiry, by correctly identifying potential societal setbacks. Thus, they are not politicians or public policy implementors. Undeniably, sociology is a major player in proposing major recommendations for the reorganization of society. Thus, it would be natural that sociologist recommendations are incorporated as a major part of the public sphere. Ideally, effective research by social scientists should be implemented by the state where they deem fit. However, the power of pronouncing public policy concerns and engaging in politics does not rest with the social scientist. Such pronouncements are only made by such groups, including presidential historians, economists, lawyers, political psychologists, and political scientists.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Bourgois explore his policy stance of poverty and drug crisis while offering multiple solutions on how to mitigate the societal loopholes, including underground businesses. He mentions that drug abuse, addiction, and racial segregation arise in inappropriate public policies. Thus, it would be wrong to judge the victims based on their actions, but considerations should be made on the surrounding circummundane, which made victims act the way they are. Bourgois recommendations are based on his research, and it is evident from the paper that, social scientists have no power to dictate or pronounce public policy issues, but rather they should stick to their writing and research and dispassionate

Reference

Bourgois, P. (2003). In search of respect: Selling crack in El Barrio (Vol. 10). Cambridge University Press. doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-10438-2_19