Resist With Care: The Complexity of Masculinity in Men’s Prisons

This paper investigates how incarcerated men in the United States utilize counter-hegemonic masculinities to resist the dehumanizing aspects of the carceral system, with the research question: How does the subliminal employment of counter-hegemonic masculinity by incarcerated men resist the carceral system as a whole? Literature on hegemonic masculinity, prison masculinity, and hybrid masculinity explore how dominant forms of masculinity shape behaviors and identities in different contexts. I analyze stories written by incarcerated men for the Prison Journalism Project, focusing on themes of emotional expression, crossing racial barriers, acts of kindness, and animal companions, contrasting them with the dominant literature on hypermasculinity within prisons. The 30 stories written by 27 authors are analyzed using the content analysis method. The paper reveals that expressions of emotion, empathy, and generosity serve as forms of resistance against the prison system’s modes of control. These findings challenge harmful and rigid perceptions of incarcerated men in both literature and public discourse by highlighting their own writings. Additionally, the findings suggest that the development of programs that promote and encourage counter-hegemonic masculinity can potentially improve the lives of incarcerated men and contribute to their rehabilitation.