Deconstructing the Power Dynamics of Prison Research

This article examines methodological dilemmas surrounding entrée, emotion, and epistemology that can arise when conducting qualitative research in carceral settings. We address how our research team navigated consent and presentations of self for maintaining access; how they managed empathy and the...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Barragan, Melissa (Author) ; Augustine, Dallas (Author) ; Gonzalez, Gabriela (Author) ; Reiter, Keramet (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2023
In: The prison journal
Year: 2023, Volume: 103, Issue: 6, Pages: 769-790
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
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Keywords:
Epistemology
Emotion
Access
Reflexivity
Qualitative Research
Description
Summary:This article examines methodological dilemmas surrounding entrée, emotion, and epistemology that can arise when conducting qualitative research in carceral settings. We address how our research team navigated consent and presentations of self for maintaining access; how they managed empathy and the emotional toll of conducting research in adversarial settings; and how conflicting narratives raised questions about data validity and knowledge construction. Analysis reveals how institutional power dynamics shape behind-the-scenes methodological decisions we make during fieldwork. Without open discussion, researchers risk perpetuating the opacity we seek to diffuse and replicating the power dynamics we aim to objectively document within total institutions.
ISSN:1552-7522
DOI:10.1177/00328855231208011