Elliot Liebow (1925–1994) was an American urban anthropologist,

ethnographer Ethnography is a branch of anthropology and the systematic study of individual cultures. It explores cultural phenomena from the point of view of the subject of the study. Ethnography is also a type of social research that involves examining ...

, and author. His best-known books were ''Tally's Corner: A Study of Negro Streetcorner Men'' (1967) and ''Tell Them Who I Am: The Lives of Homeless Women'' (1993), both of which were participant observer studies of people in impoverished urban areas. In addition to his microsociological writings, Liebow worked for more than 25 years at the

National Institute of Mental Health The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is one of 27 institutes and centers that make up the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIH, in turn, is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and is the primar ...

, where he was chief of the Center for the Study of Work and Mental Health. He also authored poetry and children's books. From 1990 until his death, he held the Patrick Cardinal O'Boyle Professorship at the National Catholic School for Social Service at

Catholic University of America The Catholic University of America (CUA) is a private Catholic research university in Washington, D.C., United States. It is one of two pontifical universities of the Catholic Church in the United States – the only one that is not primarily a ...

in Washington, D.C. ''Tally's Corner'' grew out of Liebow's Ph.D. dissertation in anthropology at Catholic University. Rather than rely on questionnaires, structured interviews, and other standard data collection tools, Liebow immersed himself in the streetcorner

subculture A subculture is a group of people within a culture, cultural society that differentiates itself from the values of the conservative, standard or dominant culture to which it belongs, often maintaining some of its founding principles. Subcultures ...

of downtown Washington, D.C., during an 18-month period in 1962–63. As he described it: ''Tally's Corner'' is considered a classic work of ethnography as Liebow was able to get the men to speak candidly to him about their work, wives, children, friends and themselves. The book was a surprise success, eventually selling more than a million copies. However, ''Tally's Corner'' has also been widely criticized for failing to explore or acknowledge the constraints of systemic, institutional racism on the lives and social conditions of African Americans. ''Tell Them Who I Am'' chronicles the struggles of homeless women in Washington D.C., using data that Liebow collected at

soup kitchens A soup kitchen, food kitchen, or meal center is a place where food is offered to hungry and homeless people, usually for no cost, or sometimes at a below-market price (such as coin donations). Frequently located in lower-income neighborhoods, ...

and homeless shelters. He said his principal aims for the book were "to write a straightforward description of shelter life", "to see the world of homelessness as homeless women see and experience it", and "to explain both to myself and others how these women remained human in the face of inhuman conditions."

References

American ethnographers Catholic University of America alumni 1925 births 1994 deaths 20th-century American non-fiction writers 20th-century American anthropologists {{US-cultural-anthropologist-stub