Urban Nomads & Alcoholism

Spradley presents a thorough sociological study, complete with ample endnotes, bibliography, appendices, tables, and questionnaire, but his fundamental thrust is humanistic. He seeks the truth of the life of the urban alcoholic nomad, but he also seeks to awaken in the reader and in society a sense of compassion and brotherliness toward such nomads:

During 1968 the Seattle City Council passed a resolution of their intent to repeal those ordinances which make public drunkenness a crime and to establish a detoxification center for alcoholics which will replace the revolving door of the jail. It is hoped that this study will stimulate the citizens of other American cities to make similar efforts to renew our institutions and include the urban nomad in our multicultural society.

Spradley argues, in fact, that formulating a more compassionate and effective policy toward these urban alcoholic nomads could help create a world where differences among societies and cultures are accepted and even cherished: "Beyond our nation, living in other cultures, is a world of strangers. Recognizing the dignity of urban nomads is a small but important step to creating a world of strangers who are friend

. . .
s alcoholic who may look forward to being arrested so that he will have a warm place to sleep and a guaranteed meal or two. But it is another thing to say that the public should respect a man who is drunk in public and who has no respect for the public or for himself. It is one thing to suggest that the public learn to honor the culture of the urban nomad alcoholic, but it is another thing to honor a man who is miserable living the life of a practicing alcoholic and who refuses to do what he must do to get and stay sober. Still, Spradley does make important points which should be heeded by policy makers in both the private and public spheres. Alcoholism is a disease, and alcoholics cannot be "cured" by sending them to jail for simply being drunk, even though the shock of being arrested might force a practicing alcoholic to do what he has to do to get and stay sober. For the urban nomads in Spradley's book, however, one more arrest added to the previous arrests is not going to even get their attention. They will merely continue to blame the system for their problems, instead of turning their attention on themselves and their disease. Again, this does not invalidate Spradley's fundamental argument that jail will not help these urban
. . .

Some common words found in the essay are:
Alcoholics Anonymous, City Council, Spradley Spradley, Communist Party, Jails AA, Paul Roman's, Pittman Snyder, Court Appeals, Nevertheless Spradley, Supreme Court, urban nomads, pittman snyder, urban alcoholic, alcoholics anonymous, stay sober, practicing alcoholic, urban alcoholic nomads, alcohol studies, alcoholic nomads, authors roman's, sociological approach, urban alcoholic nomad, authors roman's book, american society tolerate, sociological approach alcoholism,
Approximate Word count = 4412
Approximate Pages = 18 (250 words per page)