New Models of Self-Restoration in Prison: Ethnography of Buddhism in Quebec Penitentiaries
I am a PhD student in religious studies in cotutelle between Université de Montréal (Canada) and Université de Lausanne (Switzerland) and supervised by prof. Géraldine Mossière and Irene Becci. Having completed a master’s degree in anthropology, my research interests lie primarily in the field of the anthropology of religion and my work focuses on «new» spiritualities and religious subjectivities in contemporary secularized societies, which are approached using an ethnographic method. My thesis focuses on contemporary Buddhism as an alternative healing practice in public institutions, more specifically in penitentiary settings. Extreme environments such as prison, in which the subject is isolated, challenged and forced to change, are conducive to personal and religious renewal, whether through a return to one’s heritage, conversion or religious bricolage (Venel 2013; Becci 2016; Griera 2017). Focusing on the particular case of contemporary Buddhism, while all religions have this therapeutic reach, it aims at emphasizing the strong dimension of plasticity of this religion and the facility of reappropriations which make its entrance into institutions so seamless. It also reveals the positive symbolic charge that this Eastern religion carries in the Western conceptions.
With this research project, I wish to reflect upon the subjective and intersubjective experiences of healing trajectories from a holistic perspective of the subject by questioning: What are the religious and social dynamics called upon by the healing process of inmates who «take refuge» in Buddhism or demonstrate a strong attraction to this religion? The focus is not to measure the therapeutic effect of Buddhism in detention, but to analyze healing as a process by considering the actors, the triggers and the agency that lead to a healing experience and a self-restoration through Buddhism. As opposed to the notion of rehabilitation, which suggests the transformation into a «pro-social» being who is morally fit for society, I prefer the term «restoration.» Restoration is understood in this contribution as a healing process and a self-transformation that manifests on a physical, behavioural, emotional, spiritual and relational level. To understand the healing process of inmates, we also need to look at what causes the need for healing, which is suffering. In the field of anthropology, many admit that, when in the face of suffering, human beings tend to turn to spirituality. Following the lead of several authors (Sarg et Lamine 2011; Griera et Clot-Garrell 2015; Béraud, Galembert, et Rostaing 2016), I consider that religion introduces a space of symbolic meaning-making invested by some inmates to relieve suffering in detention and heal the self.
This is illustrated by the preliminary ethnographic data collected in preparation for my thesis fieldwork. To date, I have collected empirical data from exploratory research on conversions and religious activities in prison. These come from four interviews conducted with volunteers who organize meditation sessions in prison as well as a former inmate who developed a strong interest in Buddhism during his incarceration. So far, what these preliminary data reveal on the healing process is that the relationship between Buddhism and healing for some inmates is less a question of faith and more a question of an ethical framework to work on the self and improve the relationship with oneself and with others. In a broader perspective, these data suggest that the traditional and institutional offer of health care in prison institutions is challenged by new models of meaning and personal growth and that Buddhism is one of these models. Considering that correctional institutions constitute, on a small scale, reflections of society, the relevance of this research project lies within its ability to deepen our understanding of the current changes in therapeutic resources offered not only in state institutions but also in Quebec society.
References
Becci, Irene. 2016. Imprisoned Religion: Transformations of Religion during and after Imprisonment in Eastern Germany. Routledge.
Béraud, Céline, Claire de Galembert, et Corinne Rostaing. 2016. De la religion en prison. Sciences des religions. Rennes: Presses Universitaires de Rennes.
Griera, Mar. 2017. « Yoga in Penitentiary Settings: Transcendence, Spirituality, and Self-Improvement ». Human Studies 40 (1): 77‑100. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10746-016-9404-6.
Griera, Mar, et Anna Clot-Garrell. 2015. « Doing Yoga Behind Bars: A Sociological Study of the Growth of Holistic Spirituality in Penitentiary Institutions ». In Religious Diversity in European Prisons, édité par Irene Becci et Olivier Roy, 141‑57. Cham: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16778-7_9.
Sarg, Rachel, et Anne-Sophie Lamine. 2011. « La religion en prison: Norme structurante, réhabilitation de soi, stratégie de résistance ». Archives de sciences sociales des religions, no 153 (mars): 85‑104. https://doi.org/10.4000/assr.22761.
Venel, Nancy. 2013. « L’islam en détention. Éclairages sur les processus qui amènent à se saisir du religieux en général et de l’islam en particulier au cours d’une peine de prison ». Présenté à Le fait religieux en prison, Paris, France, octobre.
Science Religion and Health 