Penal Spectatorship

Abstract

This essay prompt invites students to reflect upon their own relationship to the criminal justice system. It does so by having them reflexively engage with the concept of the "penal spectator" (Michelle Brown, The Culture of Punishment: Prison, Society and Spectacle, New York University Press, 2009). The assignment invites students to discuss the cultural...

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Details

Subject Area(s):

Criminal Justice

Resource Type(s):

Essay

Class Level(s):

Any Level

Class Size(s):

Any

Learning Goals and Assessments

Learning Goal(s):

1. Students will reflect upon the concept of "penal spectatorship" and reflexively discuss their own position vis-a-vis the criminal justice system.
2. Students will identify and critically reflect upon the cultural sources that have shaped their understanding of the criminal justice system.

Goal Assessment(s):

1. Instructor will look for evidence that students understand the concept of "penal spectatorship" and can thoughtfully reflect upon their own positioning vis-a-vis the penal system.
2. Instructor will look for evidence that students can identify some of the myriad cultural representations and discourses about punishment and articulate how these have shaped their present-day thinking about penal practices and institutions in society.