NCJ Number
207591
Journal
Punishment & Society Volume: 6 Issue: 4 Dated: October 2004 Pages: 411-427
Date Published
October 2004
Length
17 pages
Annotation
Drawing on key concepts in the sociology of emotions and the sociology of occupations, this article argues that prisons are settings that stimulate emotions in prison officers that require strategic management and expression.
Abstract
"Emotion," as used in this article, refers to how a person feels inside; however, the expression of emotions is viewed as a "language," which is learned in a way that is analogous to the learning of verbal language; it conforms to internalized conventions that pertain to the "proper" exhibition and expression of various emotions. Mastery of emotional language develops over time and with practice, and full competence is difficult to achieve and maintain. This article critiques the emotional behaviors and strategies for emotion management the author observed during a 3-year study of the working lives of prison officers in six British prisons. The discussion focuses on prison officers' efforts to manage inmates' emotions, express emotion according to the occupational norms of the prison, and keep their occupationally unacceptable emotions in check in the course of their work. The author develops the concept that prisons are like domestic environments, in which interactions can become intense, stimulating powerful emotions that are managed in various ways by those involved. This article shows how emotions, as managed and expressed by prison staff and by inmates, are pivotal to prison order and climate. 48 references