A New Narrative
Cultural hegemony sustains the prison system not only through force, but through widely accepted narratives that frame incarcerated men as dangerous and irredeemable. Empathy in Action interrupts this ideological dominance by centering reflective dialogue and shared humanity. By creating space for vulnerability and accountability, the program challenges assumptions about who is entitled to voice, moral complexity, and transformation.Counter-Hegemonic Space Within Hegemonic Institution
Prisons are among the most tightly controlled sites of hegemonic power, structured to discipline bodies and regulate identities. Within this setting, Empathy in Action functions as a counter-hegemonic “claimed” space and practice: while the institution enforces silence, hierarchy, and compliance, the program fosters listening, reciprocity, and collective meaning-making. This contrast reveals how social relations rooted in empathy can emerge even within systems designed for domination.
Prisons of the Mind Beyond the Prison Walls
Hegemony and the more concealed systems of power operate when logic is internalized. This program not only humanizes incarcerated participants but also serves to destabilize the volunteers’ own conditioning on beliefs about freedom, moral superiority, and social distance. In doing so, Empathy in Action exposes how confinement persists outside prison walls.