TOTAL INSTITUTIONS: 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,
formally administered round of life.
 mental institutions
 prisons
 religious sects
Characteristics of total institutions:
 a single rational plan of action
promoted by a unified supervisory staff
 the regimented regulation of daily
activities, usually carried out in the
immediate company of others
 a wide range of “secondary
adjustments” and “underlife” activities,
eg, “knowing the ropes,” informal
economy
Secondary socialization: any
subsequent process that inducts an
already socialized individual into new
sectors of her or his society
Discussion questions
1. What is everyday life like in the
centers (i.e., what are the key defining
features of life in the centers)?
2. How does the “initial phase” in the
Carolina differ from Goffman’s
description of institutionalization?
3. How can we make sense of social
technicians’ behavior (be sure to
specify what that behavior is)?