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Essay On Total Institution

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“A total institution may be defined as a place of residence and work where a large number of like-situated individuals, cut off from the wider society for an appreciable period of time, together lead an enclosed, firmly administered round of life” (Goffman, 1961:11). In other words, a total institution is a place where the residents live in isolation from society. This essay will draw into South African prisons as a total institution, how it governs and shapes the social life of prisoners.
Institutions guide what we do and our social guidance that governs the behaviour of communities together with societies. An example of institutions would be open and closed institutions. “An open institution is defined as a system in exchange of matter with …show more content…

The role of the prisoner is changed through the shaping of their social life, because their role as prisoners has demands which is equality and limited freedom which means that they are not better than anyone else and are the same. Goffman (1961:71) states that prisons restrict prisoners from keeping up with the changes and updates happening in the outside world. This total institution shapes their social lives, because after the prisoner’s are released they know their place in community and even though they have freedom, they are not free because they are still considered as prisoners. For example, a prisoner knows that after prison it will not be easy to find a job due to the fact that there will be a criminal record in their curriculum vitae.
In conclusion to the above, I do believe that prisons as a total institution are there to put prisoners in isolation, not only because of they have committed a crime but because they come out of this total institution with something lesson which is meant to make them not commit a crime again. Also, this essay has shown and described how prisons as a total institution shapes and governs the lives of

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