NotesFAQContact Us
Collection
Advanced
Search Tips
Peer reviewed Peer reviewed
Direct linkDirect link
ERIC Number: EJ1257966
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1935-3308
EISSN: N/A
Counterstories of Agency in the Lives of Women Offenders
Sandoval, Carolyn L.; Baumgartner, Lisa M.
Journal of Ethnographic & Qualitative Research, v11 n3 p215-228 Spr 2017
Although women are incarcerated at a rate double that of men (Sentencing Project, 2014), their voices remain at the margins of prison research and their stories are most often seen through lenses of criminalization and victimization as a result of racism, classism, and abuse (Belknap, 2007). This study was part of a larger study on the lived experiences of incarcerated women who participated in gender-responsive programming (GRP) at a jail in the Southwestern United States. For this study, we wanted to understand how women demonstrated agency in their lives. The first author interviewed 13 incarcerated or formerly incarcerated women using the life history methodology. We unearthed themes using the constant comparative method of analysis (Glaser & Strauss, 2012). Results indicated that women demonstrated agency through resourcefulness, self-protection, getting even, resisting gender expectations and stigma, and valuing the self. We discuss the findings and make suggestions regarding the importance of counter-storying in the lives of women offenders. We address the intersection of racism, classism, and sexism and women's treatment in the justice system.
Cedarville University. 251 North Main Street, Cedarville, OH 45314. Tel: 937-766-3242; Fax: 937-766-7971; e-mail: jeqr@comcast.net; Web site: http://www.jeqr.org/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A