Prize-winning sociologist Lloyd H. Rogler, a founder of cultural psychiatry, gives us an intimately revealing, brilliantly narrated account of fieldwork from San Juan, Puerto Rico to inner-city New Haven. Using his decades of field experience and creative fiction he explores the daily reality of his "informants"—the Barrio Professors—and uncovers the clash between scientific models and local experience over schizophrenia, the political workings of community, and the power of serendipity. Rogler''s multi-layered exploration of the relationship between researcher and community, as well as his candid assessment of field strategies, make the book useful also for methods courses. Barrio Professors is engrossing enough for the general public and an excellent text for courses in ethnic studies, sociology, qualitative methods, psychiatry, public health, anthropology, and social work.
Industry Reviews
"These enchanting tales of colorful and gritty characters in the barrios of Puerto Rico and New Haven are an engrossing read. Lloyd Rogler is a distinguished, prize-winning sociologist, himself half Puerto Rican and half American, whose research has explored the cultural connections and disconnections that mark Anglo-Latin encounters and the strategies through which the poor and the migrant triumph over adversity. Reading the book is like sitting in a bar next to the author, who is saying, 'This is what it was really like...'" -Gilbert W. Merkx, Director of the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Duke University "This is essential reading for all students of the social sciences, and for anyone interested in the human condition." -Kal Wagenheim, journalist and author of The Puerto Ricans, Babe Ruth, and Clemente! "Rogler's tales of his early research on Puerto Ricans on the island and the mainland chronicles the development of a distinguished sociologist through a collection of characters, incidents and encounters as vivid and engaging as one would hope to find in a well-crafted novel. Seamlessly combining detailed recollections and imaginative reconstructions of his pioneering work among persons living in poverty, Rogler demonstrates a rare blend of scientific curiosity and humanistic understanding. The tales are wise, entertaining and deeply felt." -Philip Sicker, Fordham University; Co-editor, Joyce Studies Annual "An inspiring life journey, described with tender elegance, compassion, humor and wisdom, Barrio Professors is Lloyd Rogler's compelling message of humanism, culture and science embraced by nostalgia, courage and authenticity. The parade of unforgettable characters and places like San Juan, New Haven and Iowa City are, in this book, memorable stations of an eternal querencia, that of a world we know imperfect, but always dream better." -Renato D. Alarcon, Professor of Psychiatry and Medical Director, Mood Disorders Unit, Mayo Psychiatry and Psychology Treatment Center "I have always found Professor Rogler's work illuminating. This book adds a new dimension to his work and to the research literature. I highly recommend it to everyone who is interest in mental illness, cultural diversity, or social research." -Michael B. Friedman, Columbia University and Director of the Center for Policy and Advocacy of Mental Health Associations of New York City and Westchester "This book provides a fascinating account of the experiences of an experimentally trained sociologist trying to apply traditional theories and methods to understand the everyday lives of ordinary people outside academia. In his vivid storied memoir Rogler recounts his time working in different Puerto Rican communities and gradually coming to an awareness of the centrality of culture in all of our lives and of the different ways of making sense of the world. The book is rich with insights for both novice and seasoned social scientists. It could be used in a variety of social science courses." -Michael Murray, Keele University "When Rogler read some of his tales to the writing class I was teaching, he was offering prose that had been polished to the quality of gems. It was clear too that in their Latin richness and eccentricities, his barrio professors could have been the product of an imagination like that of Garbriel Garcia Marquez." -Herbert Hadad, Instructor, The Hudson Valley Writers' Center. Winner of Feature-writing Award, The New York Press Club; Editorial Excellence Award, Folio Magazine; Selected for "Notable Essays," Best American Essays, Houghton Mifflin, 2003; Gold and Silver Medal for Magazine Writing, Washington Council for Advancement and Support of Education
