Axis 1 seminar: presentations by Patrizia Pacini-Volpe and Julien Garric

Friday 16 May | 9.30am-12.30pm | MMSH (salle Duby)

Talk by Patrizia Pacini-Volpe, researcher in political science and sociology (CERAPS - University of Lille, KAIROS group - University of Pisa, CRHI - University of Côte d'Azur) Parental responsibility in prison: between inadequacy and difficulty".

The discussion will be led by Nathalie ChaponUniversity Professor (Besançon Psychology Laboratory / MESOPOLHIS).

"Being a parent in prison is a daily challenge marked by the frustrations and limitations inherent in deprivation of liberty. Fathers and mothers in prison suffer estrangement, a lack of affection and the difficulty of having their parental role fully recognised. These feelings, although common, are expressed differently depending on the gender, but they all reflect a deep pain linked to a parental relationship that has been damaged.

In prison, parents often delegate the educational and moral upbringing of their children to others: grandparents, institutions or partners of their ex-spouses. This forced transfer, generally at odds with their own values and educational methods, is a deeply humiliating experience. However, there are many different ways of experiencing long-distance parenthood: some people get involved despite everything, while others struggle to take on this role in circumstances that are beyond their control.

There are many obstacles: prolonged absence, geographical distance, financial difficulties, the introduction of a new partner into family life or recourse to social services. These factors fuel a feeling of powerlessness among prisoners. They often feel deprived of their role, unable to set rules and exercise authority, leading to a feeling of invisibility and fear of being forgotten.

The prison administration plays a crucial role here, but is struggling to meet the needs of these families. The lack of appropriate programmes to support parenthood, restrictions on visits and social stigmatisation exacerbate the difficulties. These issues are not confined to incarcerated individuals, but raise major sociological questions, particularly about the consequences of this hindered parent-child relationship.

How do estrangement, pain and sometimes emotional alienation affect family dynamics? What are the long-term effects on children, and how do these challenges hamper efforts to reintegrate and combat re-offending? There is an urgent need to think about solutions to re-establish, as far as possible, dignified and supported parenthood in a prison environment".

Lecture by Julien Garric, senior lecturer in sociology and educational science at INSPE Aix-Marseille (IREMAM), on his book The daily factory of dropping out. At the gates of the classroom (Presses universitaires de France, 2024).

The discussion will be led by Ariane Richard-Bosseza senior lecturer in sociology at the INSPE in Aix-Marseille (MESOPOLHIS).

Hybrid format: access link to the Zoom available below in the "Online event details" section.

Book summary:

"Dropping out of school is one of the key issues facing our schools. Primarily affecting the most disadvantaged pupils and the most deprived schools, it contributes to the reproduction of inequalities and processes of social relegation. Originating in the most ordinary of school realities, it is built up in the intimacy of classes and schools, through accumulated delays in learning, absenteeism and conflicts between pupils and their teachers.

This book takes an ethnographic look at the day-to-day life of three of France's poorest secondary schools. It describes how punitive practices, and in particular exclusion, are part of the daily fabric of school drop-out. From the classrooms to the offices of the school life, he lifts the veil on the backstage of institutions degraded to the extreme. Between the suffering of the staff and the distress of the pupils, the repetition of class exclusions exacerbates professional conflicts, and teaches the most vulnerable pupils to accept their exclusion from regular schooling.