Original research problem:
The purpose of this study is to understand the effects of prison architectural design on inmate rehabilitation in 2011.
Revised research problem:
The purpose of this study is understand whether the architectural design elements employed in several prisons were perceived by prison staff and inmates as they were intended.
The goal is to better understand how the architecture of juvenile detention facilities facilitate inmate rehabilitation.
Specific architectural elements can be evaluated to determine their level of success by comparing data collected through architectural team interviews to data collected through prison staff / inmate surveys. The instruments or measurements would be interviews (and therefore the interviewer as an observer) and surveys.
Prisoner rehabilitation can be evaluated through post-prison release supervision statistics and surveys administered to inmates having served a majority of their term in a specific facility. The instruments would be surveys and credible sources. Would these credible sources be a part of the literature review or introduced in the body of the research with other instruments of measure?
These instruments are being used to measure the following variables:
Based on the definition of qualitative research:
"Qualitative research uses a naturalistic approach that seeks to understand phenomena in
context-specific settings, such as "real world setting [where] the researcher does not attempt to
manipulate the phenomenon of interest" (Patton, 2001, p. 39) (The Qualitative Report, p. 600)
Reliability will be based on consistency in conducting interviews and administering surveys as well as the content of both measures. Specificity of the architectural elements in questions and effects being measured are important in providing data that can be compared between one or more sample groups from different prisons/different architectural teams.
Validity requires me (the researcher) to define the quality concepts being explored through the research.
I'm still defining these but at this time I think the concept being explored is :
natural light as a tool to discourage violent behavior
If I compare the amount of natural light (measured in square feet of glazing per cell / most consistently occupied space) accessed by inmates to the number of violent occurrences documented for those inmates - a possible correlation can be made. The challenge I am now facing is limiting variables like reason for incarceration (some inmates are more violent than others prior to incarceration), overcrowding, etc...
Resources:
The Qualitative Report Volume 8 Number 4 December 2003 597-607
http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR8-4/golafshani.pdf
The purpose of this study is to understand the effects of prison architectural design on inmate rehabilitation in 2011.
Revised research problem:
The purpose of this study is understand whether the architectural design elements employed in several prisons were perceived by prison staff and inmates as they were intended.
The goal is to better understand how the architecture of juvenile detention facilities facilitate inmate rehabilitation.
- architecture - space planning, volumetric changes / associations, ventilation, visual and physical access to natural light and other inmates / staff / community, materiality
- facilitates - enables or hinders the activities of rehabilitation
- rehabilitation - improvement in emotional and mental well-being that enables an inmate to function both in prison and out of prison in a way that doesn't harm him/herself or society
Specific architectural elements can be evaluated to determine their level of success by comparing data collected through architectural team interviews to data collected through prison staff / inmate surveys. The instruments or measurements would be interviews (and therefore the interviewer as an observer) and surveys.
Prisoner rehabilitation can be evaluated through post-prison release supervision statistics and surveys administered to inmates having served a majority of their term in a specific facility. The instruments would be surveys and credible sources. Would these credible sources be a part of the literature review or introduced in the body of the research with other instruments of measure?
These instruments are being used to measure the following variables:
- the architectural team's design intentions/strategies (opinions and documents)
- the inmate's reactions to the design strategies (opinions and statistics)
- the prison staff's reactions to the design strategies (opinions and statistics)
Based on the definition of qualitative research:
"Qualitative research uses a naturalistic approach that seeks to understand phenomena in
context-specific settings, such as "real world setting [where] the researcher does not attempt to
manipulate the phenomenon of interest" (Patton, 2001, p. 39) (The Qualitative Report, p. 600)
Reliability will be based on consistency in conducting interviews and administering surveys as well as the content of both measures. Specificity of the architectural elements in questions and effects being measured are important in providing data that can be compared between one or more sample groups from different prisons/different architectural teams.
Validity requires me (the researcher) to define the quality concepts being explored through the research.
I'm still defining these but at this time I think the concept being explored is :
natural light as a tool to discourage violent behavior
If I compare the amount of natural light (measured in square feet of glazing per cell / most consistently occupied space) accessed by inmates to the number of violent occurrences documented for those inmates - a possible correlation can be made. The challenge I am now facing is limiting variables like reason for incarceration (some inmates are more violent than others prior to incarceration), overcrowding, etc...
Resources:
The Qualitative Report Volume 8 Number 4 December 2003 597-607
http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR8-4/golafshani.pdf
I like the direction your research problem is taking. This idea of contrasting the intended effect of the prison design with the effect experienced is very interesting. It would be cool to use the data to create a dialogue between the two groups (designers and inmates). In terms of strengthening the validity and reliability, I think your best bet is to use the idea of triangulation. Basically that means trying to get at your main variables from several different directions. If there are common themes emerging when you look at multiple sources, that builds validity.
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