- What kinds of data will you collect (e.g. documents, newspaper articles, photos/videos/visual data, direct observation)? How will you collect your data (e.g. library research, archival research, survey, field research)? How will your data answer your project’s questions?
Due March 29
In writing about the privatization of prisons, I will rely predominantly upon existing scholarly literature about the history, proliferation, and consequences of the growing practice. I will conduct library research to find the appropriate and most useful published journal articles, newspaper articles, and films that answer my research questions. Furthermore, I intend to interview a previously incarcerated individual about the internal conditions of private prisons in the hopes of capturing the consequences that result from the privatization of prisons. With regards to the first portion of my research, the privatization of legal representation and the subsequent inequities that accompany this privatization, I intend to rely upon not only existing literature, but also legal documents and briefs of different court cases that highlight the discrepancies in representation between indigent and wealthy defendants. Both methods of data collection will enable me to analyze the ways in which ideals of neoliberalism intersect with the privatization of the American criminal justice system.
Comments:
Anarelis, this is a good start with your methodology. Keep in mind though you should try to think of how you will be more systematic in carrying out this project. For instance, you mentioned that you’ll be looking at newspaper articles, journal articles and films to answer questions, however does this mean that you will be doing a content analysis of these materials? I think it’s fascinating also you will be interviewing someone was been incarcerated in a private prison. Should you be really good sense of what the conditions are in a place like that. Lastly, it would be really interesting to find statistics related to the rise of private prisons in the United States. When I look at this issue online, it seemed to me that mostly rule states are the ones utilizing private prisons because they have such small populations. For instance, Vermont for all its liberal talk, utilizes a private prison.