We Aim to Entertain You: A Qualitative Analysis of Fictionalized Prison Representations In American Television.

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Ashley Brea
Ashley Brea

Class of 2022 Senior and Psychology Major. This senior thesis was completed with the support of Professor Sarah Carney. This paper is an extension of the research conducted by Professor Carney, by observing the representation of prisons and inmates in fictionalized prison television shows and considering the relative impacts that flawed or accurate representations can have on naive viewers.

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Abstract:

Previous research has demonstrated that televisions are a large source of information for viewers and have the potential to influence our beliefs and values, as popular representations often go unquestioned. This can be considered dangerous when sensitive social groups such as prison inmates are being misrepresented in popular crime shows. In recent years, the number of crime shows on television has increased by 50%. In the long run of learning from misrepresentation, viewers, who are also civilian voters, can potentially create long-lasting and detrimental circumstances for prison populations across the nation without fully understanding the nature of their decisions. As voters, jurors, and politicians, it is important to take caution about the internalization of misrepresentations. This qualitative analysis aims to acknowledge previously stated research and observe and analyze two case studies: Orange Is the New Black (2013) and Oz (1997), and how the shows are portrayed accurately or inaccurately as compared to prior research.

Keywords: Prisons, Representations, Incarceration, Inmates, Viewers, Perception

Thesis-Poster_Brea.pptx-1