Establishing and asserting masculinity in Canadian penitentiaries

Prisons housing adult men have been identified as hypermasculine environments. As a gender process, masculinities are influenced by a multitude of factors. Although presentations of masculinities vary across men and over time, researchers have identified some shared masculine ideals many men try to embody. As a subset, the hegemonic or dominant form of masculinity includes elements that ensure a level of domination is held by those who embody certain traits, particularly within the context of gendered social relations. The tools and strategies prisoners use to exert or shape their masculinity within the prison social structure, however, have not yet been examined in the context of Canadian federal prisons housed in Ontario. Within the prison culture, I argue, hegemonic masculinities determine social interactions and enforce a hierarchy among prisoners where power and domination are asserted through physical, psychological and material means. How masculinities are manifested and exerted as well as how they governed social relations with other prisoners were investigated through in-depth face-to-face interviews with 56 Canadian ex-prisoners. Findings suggest ‘prison’ masculinities are contextually influenced and exaggerate traditional constructs of masculinity evident in larger society. The hypermasculine nature of the prison experience, the oppressive and hierarchical nature of masculinities in prison and the limited opportunities for the expression of masculinities by prisoners are discussed.