Staying Sober in Mexico City

Rating:
Summary: anthropology, sobriety, manhood in the world's largest city
Review: A Berkeley professor attends an Alcoholics Anonymous chapter in DF (aka Mexico City) and reports on the men in attendance and their dynamics. In a time when anti-addiction programs are under increasing scientific, quantifiable scrutiny (think: DARE), this book is a timely addition.

I like this book; I mean, it was okay. It's just that anybody who's traveled abroad and has access to a university library could have written it. Brandes got invited to a Mexican man's peer group and he's reporting on it. He went back to his university, read up on Alcoholics Anonymous, DF, and Latino masculinity and instantly had the literature to back up his observations. Blue and yellow make green.

Brandes' has two audiences here and it will be difficult to please both groups at once. The chapters "Meeting and Moving" and "Illness and Recovery" has close to no cites or academic jargon. Everyday readers will enjoy the narrative, but academics will be bored. Chapters such as "Religious Adaptations" and "Gender and the Construction of Manhood" have plenty of cites and academic theory. Ph.D's and anthropology majors will love this; everyday readers or people just concerned about alcoholism in Mexico may be confused and turned off by these portions.

As an Anglo American and a non-Christian, the author does try to point toward his positionality in Mexican AA meetings. On the one hand, these working-class Mexican men refer to him with the formal pronoun (Usted). On the other, he receives critiques during the men's testimonials just as any other member would. Further, they look down on him for not being married or having a permanent female partner. Still, the author sometimes forgets to pinpoint his status as a First Worlder. He notes that he was frustrated by all the noise, children, drunk men, and dogs that would find their way into these AA meetings. However, that's life in a metropolis in the developing world. Men and children; in-groups and out-groups; even nature and civilization can't be easily separated as they can in middle class regions of the developed world. Instead of appreciating this potpourri of people, worlds, and phenomena, the author wishes they'd go away so that he can focus on his sole interests. Kinda problematic.

From the beginning to the end of the text, Brandes registers his surprise that this Protestant-initiated support group could work so well in a predominantly Catholic nation. While he focuses upon religion, I think other angles were left aside that could have been explored in more details. For example, what the men face here is just like what fraternity brothers on American colleges face, what boys in manhood initiations worldwide experience, even what the Puerto Rican and black drag queen in New York City endure. Men seek tribes, are forced through rites of passage, and are coerced into towing the party line. This is classic men's studies, yet Brandes only uncovers masculinity matters halfway.

He mentions race/ethnicity a little. For example, many of the men are Mexican Indians who were pushed into alcoholism as they adjusted to city life and learning Spanish. He gives this scant coverage when another academic, perhaps in Latino/a studies, would have dug deeper. (...) However, in this book, Brandes says he has observed this phenomenon. This was the first "straight" book that I've read to corroborate gay Latino writers. I applaud Brandes' honesty here.

The author never mentions performativity here. The recovering alcoholics in many ways are on stage. People use the podium in order to act or express frustrations. Audience members have critical responses. Moderators are critiqued for their roles as well. Brandes may want to read some Judith Butler. This book was filled with drama yet the performativity of life is never brought up.

Don't get me wrong. I have no regrets about reading this book. I wonder if some of the ideas here could help to start AA chapters in working-class neighborhoods or Mexican-American barrios in the United States. Bravo to Brandes, despite my strong critiques.

Rating:
Summary: anthropology, sobriety, manhood in the world's largest city
Review: A Berkeley professor attends an Alcoholics Anonymous chapter in DF (aka Mexico City) and reports on the men in attendance and their dynamics. In a time when anti-addiction programs are under increasing scientific, quantifiable scrutiny (think: DARE), this book is a timely addition.

I like this book; I mean, it was okay. It's just that anybody who's traveled abroad and has access to a university library could have written it. Brandes got invited to a Mexican man's peer group and he's reporting on it. He went back to his university, read up on Alcoholics Anonymous, DF, and Latino masculinity and instantly had the literature to back up his observations. Blue and yellow make green.

Brandes' has two audiences here and it will be difficult to please both groups at once. The chapters "Meeting and Moving" and "Illness and Recovery" has close to no cites or academic jargon. Everyday readers will enjoy the narrative, but academics will be bored. Chapters such as "Religious Adaptations" and "Gender and the Construction of Manhood" have plenty of cites and academic theory. Ph.D's and anthropology majors will love this; everyday readers or people just concerned about alcoholism in Mexico may be confused and turned off by these portions.

As an Anglo American and a non-Christian, the author does try to point toward his positionality in Mexican AA meetings. On the one hand, these working-class Mexican men refer to him with the formal pronoun (Usted). On the other, he receives critiques during the men's testimonials just as any other member would. Further, they look down on him for not being married or having a permanent female partner. Still, the author sometimes forgets to pinpoint his status as a First Worlder. He notes that he was frustrated by all the noise, children, drunk men, and dogs that would find their way into these AA meetings. However, that's life in a metropolis in the developing world. Men and children; in-groups and out-groups; even nature and civilization can't be easily separated as they can in middle class regions of the developed world. Instead of appreciating this potpourri of people, worlds, and phenomena, the author wishes they'd go away so that he can focus on his sole interests. Kinda problematic.

From the beginning to the end of the text, Brandes registers his surprise that this Protestant-initiated support group could work so well in a predominantly Catholic nation. While he focuses upon religion, I think other angles were left aside that could have been explored in more details. For example, what the men face here is just like what fraternity brothers on American colleges face, what boys in manhood initiations worldwide experience, even what the Puerto Rican and black drag queen in New York City endure. Men seek tribes, are forced through rites of passage, and are coerced into towing the party line. This is classic men's studies, yet Brandes only uncovers masculinity matters halfway.

He mentions race/ethnicity a little. For example, many of the men are Mexican Indians who were pushed into alcoholism as they adjusted to city life and learning Spanish. He gives this scant coverage when another academic, perhaps in Latino/a studies, would have dug deeper. (...) However, in this book, Brandes says he has observed this phenomenon. This was the first "straight" book that I've read to corroborate gay Latino writers. I applaud Brandes' honesty here.

The author never mentions performativity here. The recovering alcoholics in many ways are on stage. People use the podium in order to act or express frustrations. Audience members have critical responses. Moderators are critiqued for their roles as well. Brandes may want to read some Judith Butler. This book was filled with drama yet the performativity of life is never brought up.

Don't get me wrong. I have no regrets about reading this book. I wonder if some of the ideas here could help to start AA chapters in working-class neighborhoods or Mexican-American barrios in the United States. Bravo to Brandes, despite my strong critiques.