Blog 18

In the reading, At Work In The Iron Cage, the author Britton argues that the norm becomes masculine when institutions attempt to establish gender-neutral policies and practices. Being a correctional officer is perceived as a masculine job because it deals heavily with violence and danger and violence is also viewed as masculine. The institution tries to keep it gender neutral by having the same curriculum and have to have equal requirements. However, its norm still remain masculine when training takes place. The training is more masculine because it involves “self defense, firearms, chemical agents, CPR, physical training, and standard use of force” (pg. 93). This type of training gives off masculinity because of the violence. Also, guards have to deal with issues such as sexual harassment still after it is suppose to be established as gender neutral. After training, women still feel less prepared then the male officers because men officers are naturally masculine. On the other hand, women know how to deal with emotional problems something that is not required nor taught in the curriculum. Therefore, by working in women prisons who must deal with emotional problems. According to Britton, women in women prisons are less violent than the males. One of their issues in women prisons is that some of the women are emotional. With that being said, more than likely a male guard would feel less prepared entering a women prison and dealing with the emotional problems. However, women guards prefer working with male inmates because male inmates respect them more than the women. Vice versa, women inmates are more likely to respect the men guards rather then the women. Men and women prisons still differ in many ways. In the reading, Britton states that women prisons may have lower security than the men prison. In some women prisons they are given things that men would never be allowed to get which is like “crochet needles and certain toiletries” (PowerPoint).