An Exploration of How Women Probation and Parole Officers Learn to Negotiate Power and Interest in the Criminal Justice System

Autor/in	Varner, Barbara Eileen
Titel	An Exploration of How Women Probation and Parole Officers Learn to Negotiate Power and Interest in the Criminal Justice System
Quelle	(2010), (225 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit D.Ed. Dissertation, The Pennsylvania State University
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Monographie
ISBN	978-1-1241-6337-6
Schlagwörter	Hochschulschrift; Dissertation; Caseworkers; Females; Criminology; Correctional Rehabilitation; Critical Theory; Feminism; Power Structure; Interviews; Caring; Community; Interpersonal Relationship; Adult Education; Sex Role + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Thesis; Dissertations; Academic thesis; Weibliches Geschlecht; Kriminologie; Kritische Theorie; Feminismus; Interviewing; Interviewtechnik; Care; Pflege; Sorge; Betreuung; Interpersonal relation; Interpersonal relations; Interpersonelle Beziehung; Zwischenmenschliche Beziehung; Adult; Adults; Education; Adult basic education; Adult training; Erwachsenenbildung; Geschlechterrolle
Abstract	The purpose of this narrative inquiry was to explore the ways women probation and parole officers learn to negotiate power and interests in the criminal justice system. The women are considered officers of the courts and work within the constraints of the court system. The framework that informed this study was a critical feminist lens on the literature on negotiating power and interest within the fields of adult education and criminal justice. Critical feminist theory makes visible the gendered experiences of all women within patriarchal systems as they attempt to challenge systems of power. The women in this study are situated within the constraints of the criminal justice system that is embedded within historical traditions that have been created and dominated by the system of patriarchy and other relations of power that affect human needs and interests. This study made use of a narrative research methodology. The primary means of data collection was in-depth, semi-structured, narrative interviews with eight women probation and parole officers. Data were analyzed following the principles of narrative inquiry. The narratives provided rich, detailed stories filled with life experiences about the ways the women learned to negotiate within the criminal justice system. A cross analysis of the narratives revealed three significant themes. The first notes how the women focused on the clients, and emphasized their caring and connectedness in negotiating for them, even though this also meant being tough when necessary. The second emphasized the importance of the community, and negotiating power and interest by networking and building relationships. The third highlights the fact that they de-emphasize gender in their focus, at the same time that they recognize patriarchal gender dynamics at play in the workplace. Thus they appear to try to reduce the salience of gender in what they say, though it is interesting that they emphasize skills and abilities often associated with women (caring, connectedness, relationship-building as networking) in negotiating power and interest. The conclusion examines what the study contributes to critical feminist theory, the field of adult education, and criminal justice education. It also offers suggestions for further research. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.] (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10