Banging them out: An affective politics of prison sound

Stefano Bloch; Enrique Alan Olivares-Pelayo

doi:10.1016/j.geoforum.2025.104351

Banging them out: An affective politics of prison sound

Stefano Bloch, Enrique Alan Olivares-Pelayo

Geography, Development and Enviroment, School of

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

In this paper, we offer the examples of “banging out” and “quieting the run” to the prison and carceral geographies literature, highlighting the place-making capacities and material effect of sound within state-sanctioned and austere spaces of captivity. We argue that it is sound, as just one component of the affective atmosphere of prison, that allows prisoners to exert agentic control and traverse spatial and social distance through coordinated sonic attacks and forced silence orchestrated from the bottom up.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	104351
Journal	Geoforum
Volume	164
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2025.104351
State	Published - Aug 2025

Keywords

Affect
Affective atmospheres
Carceral geographies
Prison
Sound

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Sociology and Political Science

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10.1016/j.geoforum.2025.104351

Cite this

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abstract = "In this paper, we offer the examples of “banging out” and “quieting the run” to the prison and carceral geographies literature, highlighting the place-making capacities and material effect of sound within state-sanctioned and austere spaces of captivity. We argue that it is sound, as just one component of the affective atmosphere of prison, that allows prisoners to exert agentic control and traverse spatial and social distance through coordinated sonic attacks and forced silence orchestrated from the bottom up.",

keywords = "Affect, Affective atmospheres, Carceral geographies, Prison, Sound",

author = "Stefano Bloch and Olivares-Pelayo, \{Enrique Alan\}",

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AB - In this paper, we offer the examples of “banging out” and “quieting the run” to the prison and carceral geographies literature, highlighting the place-making capacities and material effect of sound within state-sanctioned and austere spaces of captivity. We argue that it is sound, as just one component of the affective atmosphere of prison, that allows prisoners to exert agentic control and traverse spatial and social distance through coordinated sonic attacks and forced silence orchestrated from the bottom up.

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KW - Affective atmospheres

KW - Carceral geographies

KW - Prison

KW - Sound

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ER -

Banging them out: An affective politics of prison sound

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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