Between the imagined and the existing culture: The consequences of biographical learning after conviction

Research objectives (aims) and problem(s): This article analyzes the subjective trajectories of a former convict in the context of social exclusion. The aim of the study was to reconstruct the experience of becoming a free individual and to examine the opportunities offered by cultural norms. The analysis sought to identify and interpret the key features of the data corresponding to the research question. Research methods: Based on an in-depth interview with a former female convict, the study attempted to identify her subjective world, her situation in a new, culturally sanctioned reality, and to conceptualize this reality in an interactional dimension. The collected data were examined through interpretive hermeneutic-phenomenological analysis. The research employed the biographical method and an in-depth interview. Structure of the article: The paper presents a theoretical introduction, followed by methodological assumptions and research results. Research findings and their impact on the development of educational sciences: The resulting narrative was analyzed to describe the former convict’s personal journey of re-learning in a host culture. The analysis focused on the subject’s social status as well as on her attempts to step into a new role and overcome mistrust toward people, places, and events. The empirical analysis revealed that the subject relied on complex self-reconstruction mechanisms operating at the intersection of the imagined and existing culture. Conclusions and/or recommendations: The research enabled an in-depth examination of the social adaptation strategies of both the ex-convict and the surrounding community. The added value of this study is that it provides a better understanding of the complexity of post-sentence learning processes under imposed social pressures.