RT Article
T1 Deconstructing the Power Dynamics of Prison Research
JF The prison journal
VO 103
IS 6
SP 769
OP 790
A1 Barragan, Melissa
A2 Augustine, Dallas
A2 Gonzalez, Gabriela
A2 Reiter, Keramet
LA English
YR 2023
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1871129451
AB 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.
K1 Epistemology
K1 Emotion
K1 Access
K1 Reflexivity
K1 Qualitative Research
DO 10.1177/00328855231208011