Publishing with Purpose
Published
Jul 19, 2021Page count
224 pagesISBN
978-1529205558Dimensions
234 x 156 mmImprint
Bristol University PressClick to order from North America, Canada and South America
Published
Jul 19, 2021Page count
224 pagesISBN
978-1529205541Dimensions
234 x 156 mmImprint
Bristol University PressClick to order from North America, Canada and South America
Published
Jul 19, 2021Page count
224 pagesISBN
978-1529205589Dimensions
Imprint
Bristol University PressClick to order from North America, Canada and South America
Philosophy Behind Bars
Male prisons can be dangerous places, with a climate of distrust underpinned by a divided atmosphere and survival is imperative for both physical and psychological wellbeing. Can long-term prisoners be given the space to reflect, and grow ?
This ground-breaking study found that engaging prisoners in philosophy education enabled them to think about some of the ‘big’ questions in life and as a result to see themselves and others differently.
Using the prisoners’ own words, Szifris shows the importance of this type of education for growth and development. She demonstrates how the philosophical dialogue led to a form of community which provided a space for self-reflection, pro-social interaction and communal exploration of ideas, which could have long-term positive consequences.
Kirstine Szifris is Senior Research Associate at the Policy Evaluation and Research Unit, Manchester Metropolitan University. Before moving into academia, she worked as a teacher hosting philosophy clubs during lunchtimes and after school clubs. She has a PhD from Cambridge University which takes a humanistic approach in placing the prisoner’s voice at the heart of the research.
Introduction;
Theseus’s Ship Philosophy, Identity and the role of dialogue;
Plato’s republic Survival in the prison context;
Kant and Compassion Alternative prison environments: The role of behaviour;
Bentham, Mill and Utilitarianism Prison education and the hierarchy of good in rehabilitation;
Descartes and Cogito Ergo Sum The importance of self-reflection and growth in the prison environment;
Hume and Arendt The relevance of context to constructions of identity;
Socrates The good life, developing trust and community;
Identity, the Ego trick and the internal narrative;
The Stoics Survival vs growth – walking the tightrope;
Achieving philosophical conversation through Art, human rights and Free Speech: Positive, philosophical conversation;
Epilogue: What happened next;
A final word.
