Reflections: A Journal of Community-Engaged Writing and Rhetoric Apr 2017 Open Access

Subalternity in Juvenile Justice: Gendered Oppression and the Rhetoric of Reform

Tasha Golden

Abstract

The proportion of young women in the juvenile justice system has increased substantially since the nineties, yet the rhetoric surrounding them remains under-studied and under-critiqued. The oppressive nature of this rhetoric thwarts the achievement of gender equity in juvenile justice, undermining the reforms that have been recommended over years of research. The following analysis examines this rhetoric for the ways in which it silences women and furthers gendered oppression in system; it also offers critical cautions regarding existing approaches to gender-responsive programming. By acknowledging the subalternity of young justice-involved women, further studies and community collaborations can be taken up to close the distance between the actual experiences and knowledges of young women and the rhetorical constructions of them that have long informed policy, programming, and daily interaction.

Journal
Reflections: A Journal of Community-Engaged Writing and Rhetoric
Published
2017-04-01
DOI
10.59236/rjv17i1pp156-188
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Open Access
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Topics
rhetorical criticism race and writing gender and writing
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