Hope House of Savannah: an ethnographic study

Although this descriptive study does not have a specific theoretical base, it does employ a hypothesis proposed by Leonard Beeghley as a fi'ame of reference. Beeghley observes that the lower the social class, the less control the individuals involved have over their environment, the more fhistrated they become, the lower their self-esteem and personal eíficacy, and the more likely they are to establish pattems of analgesic behaviors that have long-term maladaptive consequences. Analgesic behaviors are those aimed at coping with stress rather than eliminating it. He lists substance abuse, mental illness, and aggression, to which I would add teen pregnancy.

Beeghley's hypothesis applies largely to a socially problematic group he references Howell in calling "hard livers." Howell distinguishes hard livers from other persons living in poverty and difficult conditions by instability and persistent non adaptive behaviors that seem to contribute to continued lack of success.