The purpose of this article is to describe the meaning of incarceration for African American women as depicted in the narratives of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated African American women. This article uses black feminist thought as the primary theoretical framework to provide the relevant context for understanding the race, sexual, and gender oppressions that contribute to African American women's experiences with imprisonment. I argue that black women's prison narratives offer a unique insight into interlocking patterns of oppression that contribute to their incarceration, and how discrimination based on race, gender, and sexuality extends into prison.
Critical Survey addresses central issues of critical practice and literary theory in a language that is clear, concise, and accessible, with a primary focus on Renaissance and Modern writing and culture. The journal combines criticism with reviews and poetry, providing an essential resource for everyone involved in the field of literary studies.
Berghahn Books is an award-winning independent scholarly publisher of distinguished books and journals in the humanities and social sciences, headed by a mother (books) and daughter (journals) team. Its program, which includes 35 journals to date and 100 new titles a year, is focused on History, Sociology & Anthropology, International Politics & Policy Studies, Cultural and Media Studies, Jewish Studies, and Migration & Refugee Studies. A peer-reviewed press, Berghahn is committed to the highest academic standards; its publishing program is widely recognized for the quality both of its lists and of the production of its books and journals.
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Critical Survey
© 2011 Berghahn Books
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