THE IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH
There has been an “eclipse” in prison ethnography since incarceration rates began to rise in the late 1970s (Wacquant, 2002). Because of this, more research on people’s social relations during and post incarceration is needed to understand the psychological and broader social impacts of dehumanizing prison conditions.
As social beings, human identity cannot be understood as distinct from the social world. Psychological and sociological theories on the development of identity stress how societal moral authority is continuously balanced against personal desire in governing a person’s actions and how they view themselves. A person’s identity is constantly being reshaped throughout their lives, as their interactions with their external environment define how they perceive themselves and find meaning in their lives (Freud, Mead, Durkheim, etc.). For this reason, it is critical to examine the dynamics of people’s social environments when trying to understand human development behind bars.
In the era of mass incarceration where millions of people are being imprisoned each year (Prison Policy Initiative, 2015), it is crucial to understand how the prison environment can reshape how people view themselves and how they relate to others. We have begun to investigate the social impact that incarceration has on pre-existing relationships, relationships developed in prison, and post-incarceration relationships. Of particular interest is a person’s capacity to develop and sustain healthy coping skills and relationships within prison and to navigate various social obligations post-incarceration.
Below are some ways TCA has engaged and continues to engage with this endeavor. We partner with the Center For Justice and Columbia Law School to conduct research that focuses on coping skills of those impacted by the criminal legal system. Our findings both inform our own art and activism projects and serve as a resource for others with similar goals..
As social beings, human identity cannot be understood as distinct from the social world. Psychological and sociological theories on the development of identity stress how societal moral authority is continuously balanced against personal desire in governing a person’s actions and how they view themselves. A person’s identity is constantly being reshaped throughout their lives, as their interactions with their external environment define how they perceive themselves and find meaning in their lives (Freud, Mead, Durkheim, etc.). For this reason, it is critical to examine the dynamics of people’s social environments when trying to understand human development behind bars.
In the era of mass incarceration where millions of people are being imprisoned each year (Prison Policy Initiative, 2015), it is crucial to understand how the prison environment can reshape how people view themselves and how they relate to others. We have begun to investigate the social impact that incarceration has on pre-existing relationships, relationships developed in prison, and post-incarceration relationships. Of particular interest is a person’s capacity to develop and sustain healthy coping skills and relationships within prison and to navigate various social obligations post-incarceration.
Below are some ways TCA has engaged and continues to engage with this endeavor. We partner with the Center For Justice and Columbia Law School to conduct research that focuses on coping skills of those impacted by the criminal legal system. Our findings both inform our own art and activism projects and serve as a resource for others with similar goals..
CURRENT PROJECTS
From the Inside Out is an action-research-based multidisciplinary project integrating research and strategic, artistic, public programming to advocate for humane treatment, humanizing language, and representative imagery and depictions of people in prison. Learn more here.
The Social Dynamics of Prison Project is an investigation into what role prison has on social relationships and experiences.
The Language of Dehumanization Project a statistical analysis of whether negative and dehumanizing stigma is attached to the language used to describe people in prison.
The Social Dynamics of Prison Project is an investigation into what role prison has on social relationships and experiences.
The Language of Dehumanization Project a statistical analysis of whether negative and dehumanizing stigma is attached to the language used to describe people in prison.
