Josephine Ensign, Skid Road: On The Frontier of Health and Homelessness in An American City
Year: 2022
Type: book-review
Abstract: Josephine Ensign recounts the history of the unfortunate souls of Seattle but also of their reputation: the poor seen as being lazy and vicious and how their treatment-or lack thereof-often through physical, sexual and emotional abuse relates to the boom and bust cycles of the city, its decision-making processes and most importantly: its system-level failures. 2Based on a wide variety of sources-ethnographic data gathered through full immersion and observation, historical archives, in-depth interviews-this is a work of narrative history where the rules of public policy, of healthcare, of solidarity and of lack of protective regulations are discussed thoroughly. 3This from-the-bottom-up story accurately depicts the life trajectories of the forgotten and voiceless of Seattle from the mid nineteenth century until today.It shows how, even if social origins shape, or even define, the trajectories of the homeless, the socioeconomic system is equally, if not more, important.When dysfunctional-which it is to too many people-it often leads to disastrous consequences, for instance people committing suicide as their mental condition is left unaddressed. 4Josephine Ensign rightly questions political, social, and economic aspects of homelessness but maybe most importantly the moral quandary it raises.Indeed, whose responsibility is it and should it be to take care of the homeless?Their parents?Their Josephine Ensign, Skid Road: On The Frontier of Health and Homelessness in An... Transatlantica, 1 | 2022In chapter 4, she tackles the case of one of the first self-proclaimed physicians, who was forced to stop working by the municipality in the early 1900s: Alexander De Soto.The author qualifies his practice as reminiscent of Robin Hood since he charged high fees to Josephine Ensign, Skid Road: On The Frontier of Health and Homelessness in An...
Source: Transatlantica
Author: Marine Dassé
Institution: Université de Perpignan
Language: English
Subfield: General Health Professions
Field: Health Professions
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4283761395