Exploring the Past, Participating in the Present, and Promoting Positive Futures Within the UK Prison System
Archaeology and Social Capital
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 24230424 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Caroline Pudney (0000-0002-8859-7547, University of Chester), Jayne Price (0000-0001-8242-4031, University of Chester) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-38 |
| Publication date | 2026-10-14 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Public Archaeology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1465-5187 • E-ISSN: 1753-5530 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/14655187.2026.2731984 |
| OpenAlex | W7221785587 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 41 |
This paper presents key outcomes from a 2024 research project that delivered a series of archaeology workshops led by a university lecturer in an adult male prison. Findings reveal that involvement in archaeology within prison settings fosters prosocial experiences and contributes to personal growth. Active participation in discussions and hands-on archaeological tasks helped participants develop both social and personal skills. The research emphasizes the value of including individuals from marginalized criminal contexts as active agents in their own learning and development. Evaluation of the course demonstrated significant benefits for participants, including improved confidence, teamwork, and engagement, underscoring the transformative potential of archaeology-based education in criminalized contexts. The authors argue therefore that such initiatives can play a crucial role in building human and social capital and, in doing so, begin to address the broader issue of prison education.
penitentiary system · positive futures · prison archaeology · prisoner participation · Social capital · UK prisons · Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis · Cultural Heritage Management and Preservation · Historical and Cultural Archaeology Studies
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Bowling alone
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Measuring Social Capital in Five Communities
Teaching Ancient Technology using “Hands-On” Learning and Experimental Archaeology
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Archaeology Education for Children
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Translational Public Archaeology? Archaeology, Social Benefit, and Working with offenders in Wales (Part 2)
Object-based learning, or learning from objects in the anthropology museum
The School-to-Prison Pipeline
Wicked Problems for Archaeologists
Education in prison
Teaching the past in the United Kingdom's schools
Social Capital in the Creation of Human Capital
| Highly cited | No |
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