Philippe Bourgois
American anthropologist known for ethnographic research on urban poverty, drug use, and violence; author of In Search of Respect and co-author of Righteous Dopefiend, with academic appointments including the University of Pennsylvania, UCLA, and UCSF.
Books
This list of books are ONLY the books that have been ranked on the lists that are aggregated on this site. This is not a comprehensive list of all books by this author.
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1. Righteous Dopefiend
An immersive photo-ethnography of homeless heroin users in San Francisco, following a close-knit encampment over years to reveal the daily improvisations, fragile alliances, and cycles of addiction that shape life on the street. Through intimate portraits and fieldwork, it traces how poverty, racial segregation, trauma, and punitive drug policies intertwine to produce suffering, while highlighting a moral economy of mutual care amid constant scarcity. The narrative challenges stereotypes, critiques the limits of public health and criminal justice responses, and points toward pragmatic harm-reduction and housing-first strategies.
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2. In Search Of Respect
Selling Crack in El Barrio
An ethnographic portrait of Puerto Rican residents in East Harlem involved in the crack economy, tracing how structural racism, deindustrialization, and the underground labor market shape daily life and the pursuit of dignity. Based on long-term participant observation, it explores tensions between mainstream work norms and street culture, the roles of violence and masculinity, and the moral compromises people make to survive, challenging stereotypes while revealing resilience amid constrained choices.
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