Description
Book SynopsisIn this first comparative analysis of men's and women's prisons, Dana Britton identifies the factors that influence the genderization of the American workplace, a process that often leaves women in lower-paying jobs with less prestige and responsibility.
Trade Review"At Work in the Iron Cage brings a wholly new and more realistic vision of America's prisons, and the male and female correctional officers who staff them. This is an impressive book, one that provokes fascinating insights into the American prison system, for researchers and policymakers alike." -- Patricia A. Roos,Rutgers University
"In this cleverly conceived study, Britton shows that women encounter sexism on both sides of the prison bars. This book is the first truly comparative case study of a gendered organization that will surely change popular and scholarly views of life inside the iron cage." -- Christine Williams,Professor of Sociology, University of Texas, Austin
"This is a splendid piece of research about troubling and important issues. Dana Britton has written a clear, often vivid, account of the realities of prison work - far from the media images. She shows how gender stereotypes and gender divisions of labour shape this work and the lives of the people who do it. This is a most valuable book for all who are interested in gender questions, in organizational life, or in the consequences of the recent growth of the prison system." -- R.W.Connell,author of Masculinities and Gender and Power: Society, the Person and Sexual Politics
"An important and significant contribution. . . . A study of the social construction of gender and how culture and agency influence the meaning of work . . . vivid and compelling." * American Journal of Sociology *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments 1 Engendering the Prison 2 Penology in America: Men's and Women's Prisons as Gendered Projects 3 From Turkey to Of?cer: Prison Work in Historical Perspective 4 Paths to Prison 5 Work with Inmates 6 The Rest of the Job: Coworkers, Supervisors, and Satisfaction 7 Conclusion Methodological Appendix Notes References Index About the Author
