Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Penological Approach To The Social Construct Of Sexuality, Lauren Elizabeth Gibson

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Prison sex research has generally followed an essentialist theoretical approach. Only Alarid (2000) examined jail sex using a social constructionist approach to understanding sexuality behind bars. Using data collected from 142 male inmates in a Southern maximumsecurity correctional facility, the purpose of the present study was to examine whether engaging in sexual behavior affects a change in the sexual orientation of male prison inmates, using a social constructionist theoretical approach. In addition, the influence of several sociodemographic and situational variables on the change in sexual orientation was examined. The only statistically significant variable associated with a change in sexual orientation …