Philosophy Behind Bars : Growth and Development in Prison

This book describes the experience and outcomes of engaging prisoners in philosophy education. Through philosophical dialogue, prisoners had the opportunity to discuss some of the ‘big’ questions in life: ‘What does it mean to be me?’ ‘What is society?’ ‘What are morals and how do they affect how we ought to behave?’ Through non-adversarial, collaborative conversation, Szifris works with men serving long sentences to develop a community of philosophical enquiry. After 3 months of philosophical conversation, the importance of this type of education became apparent – this is about identity and self-understanding. Men in prison need opportunity to express themselves, to explore philosophical questions and engage with each other in positive activity. Through discussion of identity, the text considers whether there is room for growth in the prison environment or can people only ‘survive’. The research, which took place in two prisons, explores the role of prison education, community dialogue and active philosophising in encouraging personal development. The research describes the role of philosophical dialogue in developing trust and relationships between and among the participants; the relevance of this type of education to prisoners’ psychological wellbeing; and the significance of the subject-matter to participants’ perspectives. The book argues that prison promotes the formation of a hyper-masculine ‘survival’ identity. It goes on to argue that education, and more specifically philosophy education, can play a role in cultivating growth identities that encourage personal exploration, self-reflection, and development of new interests. Long-term prisoners need to 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.|Long-term prisoners need to 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. Front cover Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Table of Contents List of Boxes Acknowledgements Foreword 1. Philosophy, Identity and the ‘Ship of Theseus’ 2. Towards Theory: People, Places and Voices 3. Survival, Plato and the Ideal Society 4. Kant, Bentham and the Question of Identity 5. ‘Why Do You Think That?’ Descartes, Hume and Knowledge 6. Not Just an Offender, But a Person 7. Trying to Find a Community of Philosophical Inquiry 8. Finding Trust and Developing Relationships 9. Personal Self-Exploration 10. Towards a Framework for Understanding Philosophy in Prison 11. Final Reflections Appendix: Technical Methods Bibliography Index Back cover Male prisons can be dangerous places with a climate of distrust, but 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 -- Source other than Library of Congress