Constructed Realities in Women's Prisons: From "Beyond Scared Straight" to "Orange is the New Black"
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Date
2014-06
Authors
Stearns, Teija Rae
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
The show "Orange is the New Black," released by Netflix in 2013 and set in a
women's prison, received rave reviews and skyrocketed in popularity. Critics lauded the show as a realistic representation of prison. This paper examines the mediated reality of
women's prisons, compares past and present representations of women's prisons in the mass media, and examines the prison industrial complex and media effects theories.
This paper finds that Orange is the New Black represents a fundamental shift in media discourse and audience interest in the stories of incarcerated women.
Description
63 pages. A thesis presented to the Department of Journalsm and Communications, and the Clark Honors College of the University of Oregon in partial fulfillment of the requirements for degree of Bachelor of Arts, Spring 2014.
Keywords
Women's prisons on TV, Prison, Cultivation theory, Journalism, Popular culture, Television, Prison industrial complex