A Cross-Cultural Exploration of Incarceration in Popular Media: Understanding the Emotional, Mental, and Physical Struggles of Prisoners.

Abstract

Introduction: This paper delves into how incarcerated individuals are portrayed in mainstream media, particularly focusing on the emotional, mental, and physical trauma they endure while imprisoned.

Objectives: By examining two films and two television shows from each country, this study explores how media influences our perception of incarceration and highlights the diverse impacts of imprisonment on individuals.

Methods: Using a narrative analysis approach, the research compares depictions of prisoners across media from five distinct cultural contexts: the United States, the United Kingdom, India, Pakistan, and South Korea. The aim of the current research is to uncover common threads as well as cultural differences in how trauma is represented.

Results: Findings of this research suggest that, while themes of violence, isolation, and psychological strain dominate across cultures, the way these struggles are portrayed is shaped by the social, political, and cultural values are unique to each society.

Conclusions: Through these narratives, one understands how media plays an important role in shaping public perceptions of the criminal justice system and the human cost of incarceration, urges viewers to reflect on the moral and ethical implications of punishment.