Ms. Jeanne Gavard-Veau, a doctoral student at IREDU, will defend her dissertation in Education Sciences on January 31, 2025, at the University Bourgogne Europe.
The public defense will take place on Friday, January 31, 2025, at 9:00 AM in the thesis defense room located at the MSH in Dijon.
Title of the dissertation:
“Study of Working Conditions and Professional Commitment in Marginalized Settings: The Case of Teachers in Prisons”
Jury Composition:
- Thesis Director: Sandrine GARCIA, Full Professor (University of Burgundy – Research Institute on Education / IEP Lyon)
- Co-Director: Géraldine FARGES, Full Professor (University of Burgundy – Research Institute on Education)
- Reviewers:
- Bruno Milly, Full Professor (Lumière University Lyon 2)
- Stéphane Bonnéry, Full Professor (University Paris 8 Saint-Denis)
- Examiners:
- Ludivine Balland, Associate Professor (University of Nantes)
- Pierre Périer, Full Professor (University Rennes 2)
- Fanny Salane, Associate Professor (University Paris Nanterre)
Summary of the dissertation :
Teaching in prisons may seem to some like an undesirable professional context due to uncertainties regarding individuals’ behavior, organizational structure, and the outcomes of such education (given the highly heterogeneous levels among incarcerated individuals). However, research indicates that some teachers who have experienced the “traditional” school system find unique interest and rewards in this setting, despite the tensions saturating the prison environment. As noted by Salane (2013), “educational and training activities, while appearing essential and legitimate, always struggle to establish themselves in an institution whose very functioning hinders their smooth progress.”
This dissertation aims to analyze the professional commitment of teachers working in prison settings. It incorporates central issues from education sciences with insights from the sociology of professions to better understand teachers’ professional trajectories. The educational interactions occurring in this confined context present unique characteristics to be explored (Abbott 1988).
The main hypothesis posited is that constrained environments, such as prisons, can paradoxically offer spaces of freedom for teaching professionals, particularly in their relationships with close hierarchical structures. Teachers may also experience recognition from incarcerated individuals that they do not find in “ordinary” settings. Prisoners, who must voluntarily enroll in courses, attain the status of learners, granted by educators who, unlike prison guards in a total institution (Goffman, 1968), are not driven by disciplinary concerns. This allows prisoners to partially escape the stigma of delinquency.
Thus, the symbolic rewards associated with this singular educational act can be significant for teachers (Bense Ferreira Alves and Leblanc, 2013), confirming their social utility. This study builds on recent research highlighting the crucial role of professional autonomy in teachers’ job satisfaction, as well as the recognition they can receive from the educational institution and its users.
This research is conducted within the framework of IREDU (Research Institute on Education) and the SEPT Doctoral School (Societies, Spaces, Practices, Time).