Opportunity House: Ethnographic Stories of Mental Retardation

Ethnographic Alternatives #2

by Michael V. Angrosino

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.

232 pages, Hardcover

First published December 2, 1997

Reviews

[Andrea Noren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the stories, skipped most of the interview portions and nearly missed the epilogue. Angrosino's portrayals of the DD folks seemed quite plausible, although a few were duplicative, and didn't seem to add much to the overall picture.

[Paesan · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author has chosen to write what he variously terms 'creative non-fiction,' 'creative fiction', 'ethnographic fiction, ' and 'literary journalism' to represent the lives of men who live in a community program for adults who have mental illness and/or intellectual disabilities. Unfortunately, this work is not particularly creative or well-written. Moreover, the tone taken in many of the short stories is condescending. The author states that his intent to portray the diversity of people who have mental illness and/or intellectual disabilities, however he ends up portraying little more than stereotypes. The supposed 'interviews' with the author by a grad student are less-than riveting to say the least. They are simply a forum for the author to justify this work as 'research' and to self-aggrandize a bit.