Tell Them Who I Am: The Lives of Homeless Women
by Elliot Liebow
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Description
In 1967, Elliot Liebow, writing as a participant-observer, published Tally's Corner, a pathbreaking study of black streetcorner life. Coming at a time when Americans were just beginning to understand the moral demand for improvement in the lives of urban blacks, Liebow's book made its readers see for the first time the human reality behind the stereotypes and myths about black life. Now, in Tell Them Who I Am, his first book in over 20 years, Liebow similarly dispels myths surrounding show more homelessness, revealing the actual diversity, humanity, and dignity that lie behind popular images of the homeless. In Tell Them Who I Am, Liebow carefully investigates and documents the patterns and routines of homeless women. These are not the most visible homeless, Liebow tells us, not the "throwaway" homeless we see on the street. Rather they are members of the larger but less visible majority of people who are homeless but who still retain connections with society. These are people who have fallen into homelessness for many reasons; some may rise again, and some will sink. Their daily lives are thus a struggle not merely to survive but to keep alive their hope - and their humanity - in the face of what for many are insuperable obstacles. Through the women's own words and Liebow's thoughtful and sympathetic commentary, Tell Them Who I Am examines every aspect of their lives; the variety of jobs the women have, as well as the obstacles which prevent some from obtaining employment; relationships with family members, friends, and lovers, both within and outside the shelter; conflicts with the shelter staff and the need to maintain a sense of privacy in a public environment; the frustrations of dealing with an inefficient and underfunded public bureaucracy; and the struggle to maintain a fragile sense of community in the face of such destructive forces as racism and mental illness. Elliot Liebow brings the maturity of a lifetime's work as one of America's most sensitive and admired urban anthropologists to bear on this painful subject. He shows a side of our society - the lower tier - that few have seen, and argues that only through a deeper understanding of poverty and its consequences will we ever be able to address successfully the problem of homelessness. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
Although published over ten years ago, this is a book with some immediacy, given the current economic situation. Liebow spends time at a shelter, getting to know a variety of different homeless women. He gives faces and personalities to a segment of the population that is often faceless and dehumanized. At times depressing, and at times hilarious, Liebow delves into what it it means to be a homeless woman in America.
The author's insight into the lives of people who are,living in the underbelly of society, is touching and truthful. Except for the Grace of the Gods, anyone could be here. Everyone should read this book. Period.
A fabulously researched and written account of homelessness, that strives to allow the women to speak for themselves as much as possible.
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Author Information
4 Works 580 Members
Elliot Liebow (1925-1994) served as chief of the Center for the Study of Work and Mental Health of the National Institute of Mental Health
Common Knowledge
- Dedication
- To Harriet
- Blurbers
- Coles, Robert
Classifications
- Genres
- Sociology, Nonfiction, General Nonfiction, Sexuality and Gender Studies
- DDC/MDS
- 362.83 — Society, Government, and Culture Social problems and social services Social Welfare Problems of and services to other groups Women
- LCC
- HV4506 .W2 .L54 — Social sciences Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Protection, assistance and relief Mendicancy. Vagabondism. Tramps.
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 192
- Popularity
- 169,045
- Reviews
- 3
- Rating
- (4.05)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 3
- ASINs
- 2
