ABSTRACT

Sexual minority women are disproportionately incarcerated and more likely to experience structural and interpersonal violence while incarcerated than heterosexual cisgender women. To build knowledge about this population and inform social work practice, theories of embodiment were used to conduct thematic analysis of five interviews with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer masculine-identified people who had been incarcerated in a women’s prison. This analysis explicates how participants used bodily practices to construct gender and communicate identity to themselves and others. Uniforms, prison regulations, and physical manifestations of female embodiment complicated these efforts. Participants described the ways in which they monitored and evaluated their own bodies while also managing the constant surveillance of their bodies by others. Taken together, these findings explicate the ways in which participants’ bodies were produced both through their actions and the external gaze of others. Implications for social work include exploration of language and masculinity in practice settings and suggestions for correctional policies. Findings encourage inclusion of non-binary frameworks and increased attention to the embodied self in order to expand understandings of human behaviour in the social environment.

• IMPLICATIONS

• Interpret with caution any information about gender identity surmised from intake forms and observation of clients’ bodily practices. Ask clients to describe their gender identity.

• Prioritise correctional policies that promote the health and safety of incarcerated people and staff over policies that enforce social norms related to gender and have no implications on security.

• Encourage re-entry service providers to collaborate with LGBTIQA+ organisations that provide social support to clients who identify as sexual minorities.

摘要

与异性恋的顺从性女性相比，性少数族裔的妇女被过度监禁，被监禁时更容易遭受结构性暴力和人际暴力。为了建立有关这一人群的知识并为社会工作实践提供信息，实施的理论被用于对被监禁在女性监狱中的男女同性恋，双性恋，变性者和同性恋者进行的五次访谈的主题分析。该分析阐明了参与者如何使用身体习惯来构建性别并与自己和他人交流身份。制服，监狱法规和女性身体表现的身体表现使这些努力变得复杂。参与者描述了他们监控和评估自己身体的方式，同时还管理其他人对自己身体的不断监控。综上所述，这些发现阐明了参与者的行为是通过他们的行动和他人的外部凝视产生的。对社会工作的影响包括在实践环境中探索语言和阳刚之气，并提出矫正政策建议。研究结果鼓励包含非二元框架，并更多地关注体现的自我，以扩大对社会环境中人类行为的理解。对社会工作的影响包括在实践环境中探索语言和阳刚之气，并提出矫正政策建议。研究结果鼓励包含非二元框架，并更多地关注体现的自我，以扩大对社会环境中人类行为的理解。对社会工作的影响包括在实践环境中探索语言和阳刚之气，并提出矫正政策建议。研究结果鼓励包含非二元框架，并更多地关注体现的自我，以扩大对社会环境中人类行为的理解。

• 含意

• 谨慎解释从摄入形式和观察客户的身体习惯中推测出的有关性别认同的任何信息。要求客户描述其性别身份。

• 优先考虑那些促进被监禁人员和工作人员健康和安全的惩戒政策，而不是那些强制执行与性别有关的社会规范并且对安全没有影响的政策。

• 鼓励再入服务提供商与LGBTIQA +组织合作，为那些被认定为性少数群体的客户提供社会支持。