Blog 17

The NBC video was much different than prisons, men or women, are typically portrayed. However, Britton does mention that women's prisons are portrayed with a lot of sexuality, and the documentary definitely highlighted the relationships and sex that happens between the inmates. Similar to the men's prisons, though, relationships are also used as a way to survive while on the inside. Guards were portrayed very differently in the two videos. The NBC special was more consistent with the guards in Britton's study. In the video it was especially emphasized that men are accompanied by female guards when proximate to the inmates. The video also downplayed any abuse that slips through as well. Overall, though, the image of the women's facility was that of order. SimilarlyBritton's study showed that there was a desire to keep order on both sides of the bars to avoid the consequences. Britton's guards discuss that their training was aided by inmates. While this shows a general desire for order, it also can be very detrimental to the guard. As is mentioned in the shorter video, these are criminals and guards still need to be careful. If a CO were to let his or her guard down it could have fatal consequences. This also isn't mentioned in the NBC special. Officers have several views of the inmates, based on their training and on the type of inmate. There were distinctions between older inmates who don't cause much trouble and the younger more unpredictable ones. Many of the COs were trained to view the inmates as lower than themselves--like beasts. African-American and Latino officers noticed more racism directed toward the inmates by the other officers. They also report the difference in inmate behavior in women's and men's prisons. Men tend to segregate themselves more and stick with routine to the point of violence when disrupted. Women do not segregate themselves the same way--they mix racially. They also don't stick with routines the same way men do. Language of the overseer deals with how the officer may approach each inmate, and how culture plays into that. What the culture of each inmate is, along with the personality, helps dictate how to approach them as the authority.

Blog 16

The path to being a correctional officer is very different for men and women. The common thread, though, is that no one decided to go into that field. Everyone in the survey happened upon it by accident or just gave it a try, only to be surprised that they liked it. In addition to that, job benefits were attractive to all who chose to work as officers. Government benefits and vacation, along with a competetive salary were all draws to start working as correctional officers (CO) and also part of what has kept them there. Men were typically in a related field, like the military, or had knowledge of someone in the job or one very similar. For men to transfer in from the military is not much of a stretch. Many of the ideals are similar, and it's very structured. Also, both the military and the prison system are very gendered fields. Most of the members of the military are men and it's geared toward making men the best they can be. It also is appealing to minority men, as the median income for a correctional officer is higher than the racial median income as a high school graduate. This is not so for white male high school graduates, though, as their median income is $4,000 higher. Women usually take a different path. Many women actually came from clerical work. They feel they more or less drifted into this line of work. One in particular started in the prison with a clerical job and transitioned into guard work. Other women cam from divorce or retail. For all it was a change, but not as harsh as they thought it would be. Only two women came from the military or something similar. It is unclear to me what clerical or retail work would have in common with correctional work, but there is enough of a connection to have attracted 37% of each group for women from the study.

Blog 15

In 1977 about 11,000 women were in prisons. Currently more than that are incarcerated each year. In addition to that, 70% of those women are mothers. Many of the crimes are for nonviolent low-level drug charges and a disproportionate number are poor and racial minorities. While reading the information provided, I noticed that much of the data relied on sentencing policies and how tough a state decided to be on 'the war on drugs'. This was discouraging to me, mostly because by using these guidelines it gave a tone of permissibility in regards to drug sales. If this were an article focused on child drug use there would be a completely different solution suggested than which level of drug sales a woman (or man) should be imprisoned for. Another area that stood out was how many incarcerated women are mothers. After Units A and B in this class I realize that a child staying with someone other than a (in my opinion) potentially unfit mother may not be a better solution. Many low-income family members, or at least the ones shown so far, appear to have less cohesive bonds or less of a mutual ability to successfully raise children in terms of monetary and time needs. On the flip side, it may not be a bad thing that a child is removed from a home life filled with drugs and dysfunction. Nowhere in this article does it state that innocent women are being imprisoned. At least if the children see what can happen they're more likely to think twice before they repeat the pattern. While the reform movement had obvious racial flaws, the practices were a good start. The ideology was more accurate, even though middle class values may have been inconsistent with their inherent value systems. While I was repeatedly unable to get to the AZ Corrections website or anything similar, I would imagine Arizona was not a model state in women's reform.

Blog 14

Britton says the theory of gendered organizations states that "we should see organizations not as neutral organisms infected by the germs of the workers' gender identities but as sites in which these attributes are present in preexisting assumptions and constructed through ongoing practice." (p. 3). In chapter two she notes that prison work was tailored to the male body, which demonstrated no reproductive "risk". Women were kept separate and only given the unprofitable work, such as sewing for the officers or inmates. The entire notion of prison is male-focused, which supports that prison cannot be interpreted as neutral. Organizations are gendered throughout. Male and female workers contribute to gendered organization through agency by duplicating themselves in terms of gender and attributes. Structure happens with policies that may uphold beliefs about gender differences, even if they're minor. On the level of culture, we view different organizations as gendered. For example, most people think of a police officer as male, or a judge as male. CEOs are generally assumed men. This can even spill over into hiring practices, as employers may look for certain qualities that uphold these gender ideologies. When Britton says that organizations are gendered at the level of structure she means that the very concept of work and home life doesn't exist. It's work life and then whatever else, but that's not for the employer to think about. Originally when most women were unemployed at home taking care of children this probably worked very well. However, the idea hasn't changed much to adapt to working women. Even though more women are working they are also still the main caretakers. Therefore when the employer doesn't associate at all with her private sphere, the public sphere may suffer in the end. An example of this mentality changing is a workplace that has a daycare on campus. USAA is one such company.

Blog 13

When I think of the image of prison guards I immediately think of the Stanford Prison Experiment.  The guards became abusive, finding any way to brutally keep the inmates in place.  This has been the belief of people.  Because inmates are believed to be so anarchistic, prison guards are perceived to be burly pillars of strength that know the necessary steps to keep order.  If this description hasn’t already evoked the image of a man it should.  Men are thought to be the ones suitable for prison work and it’s always been thought of as a man’s job.  A woman in this position would probably resemble some manly characteristics.  She would also more likely be dispatched in an area where she has less or no contact with the inmates.  She probably is also expected to rely on the male prison guards for the heavy backup force if needed.  Originally women officers were thought of as “small-minded, intoxicated with their own power, vulgar, and occasionally cruel.” (p 53)

Male officers in female prisons can evoke either an officer and enforcer or someone who abuses his power for sex.  Reports discussed in Chapter Two of Britton discuss pregnancies due to male officers and other inmates. 

A male officer in a male prison is thought of as a custodial enforcer.  While it is known that there can be misuse of powers, they are thought of differently to a degree.  Men are thought to be more rational and have the skill set better adapted to a potentially violent situation in a prison.  

Blog 12

I believe that gender segregation exists because of widespread long-held social beliefs.  Not only have women long been described as the “fairer sex” but they’ve been expected to uphold all the traits a fairer sex would have.  This would include lesser physical strength, a weakened mental ability, and less of a desire to put herself in harm’s way.  This lack of desire for harm would also mean that men would be there to protect her should she be in trouble.  In addition to that, women still hold the majority of the responsibility in child-rearing.  As Britton states that women and men find the same job characteristics appealing, but women more often have to make trade-offs to balance family and work (p. 8).

When it comes to occupations, women’s and men’s jobs have been clearly defined for a long time.  Women tend to obtain the job that rely more on nurturing and have more flexible scheduling.  This is considered consistent with a woman’s nature and allows her to balance family life as well.  Rather than be a CEO, a woman is more likely to be that CEO’s secretary, because it relies more on taking care of her boss.  She also has less responsibility and therefore will not have interference with family life on the same level a CEO would. 

It isn’t just social factors that influence gender segregation in jobs.  Organizations have various forms of segregation, such as the laws for equal pay and overtime eligibility, both of which only benefit men in the long run.  In addition to that, there is the Dothard vs. Rawlinson case.  At first glance it appears to be a safety guideline, but when looking deeper it really only excludes women.  A better guideline would’ve been something like a strength test.  She qualified for everything except height and weight.

When women enter male-dominated fields they not only are expanding their horizons for potential careers, they are helping society move closer to gender equality.  It also opens the door for those women who are purely career-driven to more easily move up the ranks to positions where a personal life would not survive.  Men benefit, too, because they can see new approaches to their work and discover new perspectives that weren’t previously introduced.  Men are already welcomed into most women’s professions such as nursing.

Urban poverty vs. mixed neighborhoods (blog 8)

Urban poverty creates unique situations from mixed neighborhoods.  In neighborhoods that are completely poor, like ghettos, a lot of generational poverty exists.  Mothers have to not only try to make ends meet, but they also have to pay more attention to the environment that threatens their children’s well-being.  There is more illegal activity, more bad influences, and more physical dangers.  Children may not be allowed to play outside because their mother is afraid they could get shot, as Jessica stated in her interview.  After evaluating the interviews in the book it seems that the family system is less able to be as supportive as necessary, either because they don’t live there or because they’re preoccupied trying to make ends meet in their own household.  One other reason is that they’re untrustworthy for various reasons. 

Urban poverty is also more likely to break up the core family structure as well.  Since many males leave the family, are incarcerated or are abusive, mothers are left with the majority or complete child-rearing responsibility.  This not only is undue strain on the mothers and children, it also removes a model family life for children, which may in turn perpetuate through the generations, as does generational poverty. 

Another way urban poverty adds strain to life is that many of the jobs these single mothers can get are outside their neighborhood.  That means that they have to be gone from the household longer and travel further.  This not only takes up valuable time and childcare resources, it is more expensive, especially if they have a car and have to pay for gas. 

Mixed neighborhoods may have poor people in them, but as the name implies, there is more likely to be a stable family structure around them.  In addition to that, it’s less likely to be as dangerous of a neighborhood.  There may be neighbors around who are more trustworthy and able to help out somehow.  They may also be more likely to find work closer to home.