ERIC Number: EJ1307444
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021-Oct
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0017-8969
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Undergraduate Students' Perspectives on the Impact of a Prison Health Course
Cameron, Rose B.; McLeod, Katherine E.; Donnelly, Leeann; Buxton, Jane A.; Elwood Martin, Ruth
Health Education Journal, v80 n6 p686-698 Oct 2021
Objective: The stigmatisation of incarceration has significant negative effects on the health and well-being of individuals and communities. At the University of British Columbia in Canada, an undergraduate course on prison health included instruction by people with lived experience of incarceration as part of a teaching approach aimed to reduce stigma. In this study, we sought to understand the impact of this course as described by students. Design: Qualitative interviews with students who completed the course in 2017 were conducted by another former student of the course. Interviews were transcribed and interpretive descriptive methods were used to elucidate findings. Results: Nine former students participated in the study, eight (89%) were women and the median age was 23 years. Analysis yielded the following themes: (1) learning from people with lived experience, (2) de-mystifying through knowledge and understanding, (3) broadened perspectives and self-reflection, (4) future choices and actions and (5) changing views on incarceration. Conclusion: Findings suggest that approaches to address stigma in teaching prison health in an undergraduate course provided students with a deepened understanding of health inequities and determinants of health; increased feelings of compassion and interest in health equity for populations impacted by incarceration; and fostered opportunities for reflection, critical thinking and broadened perspectives.
Descriptors: Undergraduate Students, Student Attitudes, Correctional Institutions, Health Education, Foreign Countries, Social Bias, Experience, Attitude Change, Knowledge Level, Consciousness Raising
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Canada
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A