Change on E Ward

This chapter touches down from the bird’s-eye view of spatial organization to take a closer look at one residential ward that I call ‘E Ward’. The case of E Ward provides a description of how spatial dimensions of power and ethnic categories occur in social interaction. At the time of the field work, the prisoner population of E Ward underwent a change in its ethnic constellation: three Black prisoners were placed for the first time in this high-status ward. This chapter studies the events following the change, including the reactions of the prisoners and officers, the first conflicts among the prisoners, the decision-making process of the prisoner community, the change in attitudes and final adaptation to the situation. I also provide an analysis of the reasons behind the change. The conclusions of this chapter argue the importance of the methodological recognition of creativity and fallibility of human action. Instead of dictating the outcomes in E Ward, both explicit social norms and public attitudes changed through interaction. The case study of E Ward launches the further analysis of change studied further in the upcoming chapters.