Navigating the Civil Spheres Behind Bars: Insights from "Orange is the New Black"

The image above depicts a scene from Orange is the New Black, about a woman whose life is turned upside down when she is sentenced to serve time in a women’s prison. The series showcases the lives and stories of the other inmates while providing a multifaceted portrayal of women and how they navigate the complexities of prison life. This picture shows one of the inmates holding a gun to one of the prison’s correctional officers while the other inmates watch and seemingly cheer her on. This scene occurs due to a peaceful protest that resulted in one of the inmates being killed by a guard. Her death sparked rage amongst the other inmates, which led to chaos and violence throughout the prison. A guard was going to grab his gun from his holster when one of the inmates pushed him, causing him to drop it and allow another inmate to pick it up and ultimately point it at him. This scene highlights the change in the power dynamic between the correctional officers and the inmates. 

In The Civil Sphere, Jeffery Alexander argues that “civil spheres” are a subsystem of society distinct from the domains of politics, economics, family, and religious life and vary in degrees empirically (Alexander 2006). Alexander also describes how spheres are distinct domains of social life that have their cultural logic, which includes norms and values and produce particular kinds of goods, which include socialization (Alexander, 2006). Alexander also touches upon how binary codes of civil spheres operate, and he describes how no one is inherently good or moral and different groups can be labeled differently with time (Alexander, 2006). The civil sphere also produces a sense of solidarity, which can form organizations with distinct cultural logic (Alexnder, 2006). 

Orange is the New Black provides an example of how civil spheres operate within a women’s prison, depicting the complexities of social relationships, power dynamics, and the collective identities among the inmates. Within the prison setting, the inmates develop their own sense of values, norms, and codes that guide their interactions and relationships. Although the inmates have diverse backgrounds, they ultimately come together to advocate for their rights. The inmates engage in solidarity through alliances, hunger strikes, and peaceful protests. The women in Litchfield prison collectively mobilize within their civil sphere and challenge the oppressive system they are in. Orange is the New Black also explores the intricate power dynamics within the prison, which include interactions between the inmates and the correctional officers. The show reveals how individuals navigate hierarchies, alliances, and conflicts within the prison environment, highlighting how institutional structures shape their experiences of inclusion and exclusion. Additionally, the show highlights how different groups gain or lose power throughout the show, further demonstrating Alexander’s point that civic sphere distinctions are not real and different groups are labeled differently with time.

Alexander J. C. (2006). The civil sphere. Oxford University Press.