This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Day, A. Articles by Nakata, M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Day, A. Articles by Nakata, M. Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

The Meaning of Anger for Australian Indigenous Offenders

The Significance of Context

Linda Davey

University of South Australia

Rosemary Wanganeen

University of South Australia, Sacred Site Within Healing Centre, Australia

Kevin Howells

University of South Australia, Nottingham University, UK

Jason DeSantolo

Martin Nakata

University of Technology, Sydney, Australia

The problem of overrepresentation of Indigenous offenders in Australian prisons highlights the need for effective tertiary intervention programs within correctional settings as a way of reducing Indigenous reincarceration. This study seeks to explore meanings of anger within an Indigenous context that might inform the development of more acceptable and potentially more effective rehabilitation programs. A methodology that acknowledges the importance of narrative, context, and culture was devised to explore how anger as an emotion is understood and experienced by a group of Indigenous men in a South Australian prison. Although some of the major themes reflected experiences of anger common to many offenders, it was evident that for these Indigenous men, anger was experienced within a broad social and political context that imbued the experience of anger with layers of culturally specific meaning. It is suggested that these layers of meaning constitute sufficient difference to warrant further exploration.

Key Words: anger • Indigenous • rehabilitation • prison

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?