Characteristics of Total Institutions by Erving Goffman, In this essay Goffman provides us a summary of one of his key concepts—that of the“total institution. In defining this concept Goffman delineates the key features of totalitarian social systems. !hould a person reside in such a system, it encompasses his or her "hole being. It undercuts the resident#s individuality. It disregards his or her dignity. It sub$ects the individual to a regimented pattern of life that has little or nothing to do "ith the person#s o"n desires or inclinations. %nd it is inescapable. &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& I'T()*+CTI)' Total Institutions Every institution captures something of the time and interest of its members and provides something of a "orld for them, in brief, every institution has encompassing tendencies. -hen "e revie" the different institutions in our -estern society "e find a class of them "hich seems to be encompassing to a degree discontinuously greater than the ones ne.t in line. Their encompassing or total character is symboli/ed by the barrier to social intercourse "ith the outside that is often built right into the physical plant0 locked doors, high "alls, barbed "ire, cliffs and "ater, open terrain, and so forth. These I am calling total institutions, and it is their general characteristics I "ant to e.plore. This e.ploration "ill be phrased as if securely based on findings but "ill in fact be speculative. The total institutions of our society can be listed for convenience in five rough groupings. 1irst, there are institutions established to care for persons thought to be both incapable and harmless, these are the homes for the blind, the aged, the orphaned, and the indigent. !econd, there are places established to care for persons thought to be at once incapable of looking after themselves and a threat to the community, albeit an unintended one0 T2 sanitoriums, mental hospitals, and leprosoriums. Third, another type of total institution is organi/ed to protect the community against "hat are thought to be intentional dangers to it, here the "elfare of the persons thus se3uestered is not the immediate issue. E.amples are0 4ails, penitentiaries, 5)- camps, and concentration camps. 1ourth, "e find institutions purportedly established the better to pursue some technical task and $ustifying themselves only on these instrumental grounds0 %rmy barracks, ships, boarding schools, "ork camps, colonial compounds, large mansions from the point of vie" of those "ho live in the servants# 3uarters, and so forth. 1inally, there are those establishments designed as retreats from the "orld or as training stations for the religious0 %bbeys, monasteries, convents, and other cloisters. This sublisting of total institutions is neither neat nor e.haustive, but the listing itself provides an empirical starting point for a purely denotative definition of the category. 2y anchoring the initial definition of total institutions in this "ay, I hope to be able to discuss the general characteristics of the type "ithout becoming tautological. 2efore attempting to e.tract a general profile from this list of establishments, one conceptual .t. constantly e. and "ithout an overall rational plan. and this under conditions "here one person#s infraction is likely to stand out in relief against the visible. In speaking of 6common characteristics.amined. .tend to these situations. "ho often operate on an 7&hour day and are socially integrated into the outside "orld.peculiarity must be mentioned. as the key fact of total institutions.hibits many items in this family of attributes to an intense degree. The handling of many human needs by the bureaucratic organi/ation of "hole blocks of people&"hether or not this is a necessary or effective means of social organi/ation in the circumstances&can be taken. but I think logically defensible. certain important implications can be dra"n.tract seems entirely e.tended facilities remain voluntary in many particulars of their use. staff often . these totalistic features are found. play and "ork in different places. there is a basic split bet"een a large class of individuals "ho live in and "ho have restricted contact "ith the "orld outside the "alls. then. all of "hom are treated alike and re3uired to do the same thing together. "ith one activity leading at a prearranged time into the ne. and none seems shared by every one of them. !imilarly. 1irst. but rather surveillance&a seeing to it that everyone does "hat he has been clearly told is re3uired of him. minor services and off&hour recreation for their members. but these persons are not collectively regimented and do not march through the day#s steps in the immediate company of a batch of similar others. . I "ill be using this phrase in a "eakened. all aspects of life are conducted in the same place and under the same single authority. . Totalistic 1eatures % basic social arrangement in modem society is that "e tend to sleep. the contents of the various enforced activities are brought together as parts of a single overall rational plan purportedly designed to fulfill the official aims of the institution.plicit formal rulings and a body of officials. as in many employer&employee relations. the "hole circle of activities being imposed from above through a system of e. Each grouping tends to conceive of members of the other in terms of narro" hostile stereotypes. Individually. 2ut "hile this is a tendency in the direction of total institutions. house"ives or farm families can find all their ma$or spheres of life "ithin the same fenced&in area. Increasingly. In total institutions. in each case "ith a different set of coparticipants. 1rom this. industrial and educational establishments provide cafeterias.ample. in places other than total institutions. for e. compliance of the others. our large commercial. conveniently called inmates. Given the fact that blocks of people are caused to move in time. all phases of the day#s activities are tightly scheduled. . -hat is shared and uni3ue about total institutions is that each e. The central feature of total institutions can be described as a breakdo"n of the kinds of barriers ordinarily separating these three spheres of life. conveniently called staff. 1inally. under a different authority. Third. !econd. each phase of the member#s daily activity "ill be carried out in the immediate company of a large batch of others. it becomes possible to use a relatively small number of supervisory personnel "here the central relationship is not guidance or periodic checking.6 then. and the small class that supervises them.clusive to total institutions. "ay. of course. .'one of the elements I "ill e. and special care is taken to see that the ordinary line of authority does not e. these e. blame"orthy and guilty.6 It follo"s. "ith points of official contact but little mutual penetration. too. in some "ays at least. secretive and untrust"orthy.tremely slo" pace. something of the usual relation to the "orld that money can buy is obtained through the practice of6 forced saving6. a second one pertains to "ork. the spending of this in a domestic and recreational setting is at the discretion of the "orker and is the mechanism through "hich the authority of the "orkplace is kept "ithin strict bounds. In all such cases. can hardly sustain a meaningful domestic e. this "ill not have the structural significance it has on the out& side. suffer e. !ocial mobility bet"een the t"o strata is grossly restricted. all needs are organi/ed by the institution. social distance is typically great and often formally pre& scribed. the authority of the "ork& place stops "ith the "orker#s receipt of a money payment. *ifferent attitudes and incentives regarding this central feature of our life "ill have to prevail. . but by threat of dire punishment. such as logging camps and merchant ships. In addition to the fact that total institutions are incompatible "ith the basic "ork&payment structure of our society. as in the case of "eekly tobacco ration and annual Christmas presents. inmates tend. the "ork&oriented individual may tend to become some"hat demorali/ed by the system. untrained often in leisurely "ays of life. some "ork is re3uired but is carried on at an e. so that "hen# either grouping refers to the vie"s or interests of # #the institution. then.seeing inmates as bitter. total institutions take over 6responsibility6 for the in& mate and must guarantee to have everything that is defined as essential “layed on. In the ordinary arrangements of living in our society. Correspondingly. In any case. These restrictions on contact presumably help to maintain the antagonistic stereotypes. being geared into a system of minor. 8ere. "hile inmates often see staff as condescending. even talk across the boundaries may be conducted in a special tone of voice. "eak. !taff tends to feel superior and righteous. t"o different social and cultural "orlds develop.istence.tremes of boredom. 8o"ever. to feel inferior. that "hatever incentive is given for "ork. and inmates. In other cases. 1or it seems that those "ho eat and sleep at "ork.tent to "hich a staff retains its integration in the outside community and escapes the encompassing tendencies of total institutions is often linked up "ith the maintenance of a family off the grounds. "hich cause some mental patients to stay on their $ob. The staff&inmate split is one ma$or implication of the central features of total institutions. It is important to add that the institutional plan and name comes to be identified by both staff and inmates as someho" belonging to staff. then.6 by implication they are referring to the vie"s and concerns of the staff. "ith a group of fello" "orkers. often ceremonial payments. of course. the family. more than a full day#s "ork is re3uired and is induced not by re"ard. In some total institutions. In other "ords. the e. In some cases. but in fact the more pertinent contrast to family life might be "ith batch 9block: living. no "ork or little is re3uired. tending to $og along beside each other. The family is sometimes contrasted to solitary living. is one basic ad$ustment re3uired of those "ho "ork in total institutions and of those "ho must induce these people to "ork. %nd in some total institutions. highhanded and mean. it must be seen that these establishments are also incompatible "ith another crucial element of our society. and payment is given only after a "ork season is over and the men leave the premises. to say that inmates in total institutions have their full day scheduled for them is to say that some version of all basic needs "ill have to be planned for. are social hybrids. on "hat can be done to the self. Total institutions. force it may "ell have.6 The recruit comes into the institution "ith a self and "ith attachments to supports "hich had allo"ed this self to survive. degradations. +pon entrance. then the staff "orld. something about the "ider social functions of them both. as "ell as other possessions . if often unintentionally. I "ill consider the inmate "orld. Each is a natural e.periment. and this "ill depend on the suppression of a "hole circle of actual or potential households.ortification 5rocesses It is characteristic of inmates that they come to the institution as members. then. and profanations of self. "e can assume it "as part of a "ider sup& porting frame"ork lodged in his current social environment. The full meaning for the inmate of being 6in6 or 6on the inside6 does not e.ist apart from the special meaning to him of 6getting out6 or 6getting on the outside. -e do not deal "ith acculturation or assimilation but "ith something more restricted than these. It is useful to look at this culture that the recruit brings "ith him to the institution#s door&his presenting culture. discreditings and failures. already full& fledged. -hatever the stability of his personal organi/ation. There are other reasons. for being interested in them. humiliations. The stripping processes through "hich mortification of the self occurs are fairly standard in our total institutions. too. to modify a psychiatric phrase& in terms especially designed to highlight "hat it is the total institution "ill do to him. The incompatibility bet"een# these t"o forms of social organi/ation should tell us.%TE -)(<* . They effectively create and sustain a particular kind of tension bet"een the home "orld and the institutional "orld and use this persistent tension as strategic leverage in the management of men. and therein lies their special sociological interest. In the accurate language of some of our oldest total institutions. that is. the formation of households provides a structural guarantee that total institutions "ill not arise. total institutions do not look for cultural victory. "e can move on no" to consider them from the special perspectives that seem natural to take. In a sense. he is led into a series of abasements. and then something about contacts bet"een the t"o.-hether a particular total institution acts as a good or bad force in civil society.perience that some"hat confirms a conception of self that is some"hat acceptable to him and a set of defensive maneuvers e. 'o" it appears that total institutions do not substitute their o"n uni3ue culture for something already formed. part formal organi/ation. a round of e. he is immediately stripped of his "onted supports. mortified. Conversely. in other "ords. then. and his self is systematically. T8E I'. some radical shifts in his moral career.ercisable at his o"n discretion as a means of coping "ith conflicts. a "ay of life and a round of activities taken for granted up to the point of admission to the institution. of a home "orld. 8aving suggested some of the key features of total institutions. alas. 8e begins. 5ersonal identity e3uipment is removed. typically harsh. part residential community. These establishments are the forcing houses for changing persons in our society. a career laying out the progressive changes that occur in the beliefs that he has concerning himself and significant others. the authority of corrective sanctions is directed to a great multitude of items of conduct of the kind that are constantly occurring and constantly coming up for $udgment. "e see that the inmate cannot easily escape from the press of $udgmental officials and from the enveloping tissue of constraint. %ny member of the staff class has certain rights to discipline any member of the inmate class. .. the adult himself. inmates live "ith chronic an. E. . novel. but this "ill be the same for large categories of inmates and "ill be regularly repossessed by the institution. and educational career lines are chopped off. and a stigmati/ed status is submitted. and closely enforced so that. . social intercourse. . )n the inside. to a degree."ith "hich the inmate may have identified himself. . %reas of autonomous decision are eliminated through the process of collective scheduling of daily activity. rules are sufficiently la. %s a substitute for "hat has been taken a"ay. 8e need not constantly look over his shoulder to see if criticism and other sanctions are coming. )n the outside.ert over their interpersonal environment and may produce the terror of feeling that one is being radically demoted in the age&grading system. 1irst. is typically under the authority of a single immediate superior in connection "ith his "ork or under authority of one spouse in connection "ith domestic duties.. rulings are abundant. authority is directed to matters of dress. 3uite characteristically. occupational.iety about breaking the rules and chronic "orry about the conse3uences of breaking them. !econd. . . authority is of the echelon kind.pressive signs of respect for the staff are coercively and continuously demanded.any channels of communication "ith the outside are restricted or closed off completely. manners and the like. In our society. In brief. institutional issue is provided. The desire to 6stay out of trouble6 in a total institution is likely to re3uire persistent conscious effort and may lead the inmate to ab$ure certain levels of sociability "ith his fello"s in order to avoid the incidents that may occur in these circumstances.cept perhaps in the case of traffic&la" enforcement. . %nd the effect of each of these conditions is multiplied by having to "itness the mortification of one#s fello" inmates. . an individual "ho fails to participate "ith proper enthusiasm in sports may be brought to the attention of the person "ho determines "here he "ill sleep and "hat kind of "ork task "ill be accorded to him. in brief. In the background of the sociological stripping process. . -hen "e combine these three aspects of authority in total institutions. The third feature of authority in total institutions is that misbehaviors in one sphere of life are held against one#s standing in other spheres. . The only echelon authority he must face&the police& typically are neither constantly nor relevantly present. The system of authority undermines the basis for control that adults in our society e. there typically being a system of nonaccessible storage from "hich the inmate can only reobtain his effects should he leave the institution. . =erbal discreditings occur in many forms as a matter of course. deportment. "e find a characteristic authority system "ith three distinctive elements. . Thus. 1amily. ho"ever. ho"ever. !ources of fantasy materials "hich had meant momentary releases from stress in the home "orld are denied.pect to e. each basic to total institutions. standardi/ed defacement "ill occur. e. and the individual sufficiently agreeable to re3uired self&discipline to insure that others "ill rarely have cause for pouncing on him. he can spend the day in devoted thoughts concerning the possibility of ac3uiring these gratifications or the approach of the hour at "hich they are scheduled to be granted. comes to be fi.ercise autonomy by deciding ho" much sugar and milk he "anted in his coffee. making for a reorgani/ation of self. that a constant feature of inmate discussion is the release binge fantasy. )n the outside.It should be noted finally that the mortifications to be suffered by the inmate may be purposely brought home to him in an e. Three basic elements of the system may be mentioned. even one "ho has lived through the e. against the stark background.t can be seen as the institution#s "ay of getting him in the position to start living by the house rules. 8ouse rules and privileges provide the functional re3uirements of the third element in the privilege system0 punishments. a relatively e. especially at first. he may find himself called by a term such as 6fish.ated on these supplies and obsessed "ith them. 2oth staff and fello" inmates may go out of their "ay to give the neophyte a clear notion of "here he stands. 8eld up to the inmate as possibilities. or "hen to light up a cigarette. %s part of this rite de passage.aggerated "ay during the first fe" days after entrance. !econd. candy and ne"spapers.plicit and formal set of prescriptions and proscriptions "hich layout the main re3uirements of inmate conduct. re&establishing relationships "ith the "hole lost "orld and assuaging "ithdra"al symptoms from it and from one#s lost self. in a form of initiation that has been called the "elcome. then. 1irst. these fe" recapturings seem to have a reintegrative effect.erted. for e. The building of a "orld around these minor privileges is perhaps the most important feature of inmate culture and yet is something that cannot easily be appreciated by an outsider. This situation sometimes leads to generous sharing and almost al"ays to a "illingness to beg for things such as cigarettes. there are the house rules.6 6s"ab. if any. on the inside.change for obedience to staff in action and spirit. In the most fanatic "ay. this right may become 3uite problematic and a matter of a great deal of conscious concern. These are designated as the conse3uence of breaking the rules.perience him& self. recitals of "hat one "ill do during leave or upon release from the institution. It is important to see that these potential gratifications are not uni3ue to the institution but rather are ones carved out of the flo" of support that the inmate previously had 3uite taken for granted. In general. it is largely around this frame"ork that pressures are e.ample. then. )ne set of these punishments consists of the temporary or permanent "ithdra"al of privileges or abrogation of the right to try to earn them. through "hich older inmates tell him that he is not only merely an inmate but that even "ithin this lo"ly group he has a lo" status.. The inmate#s run of attention.6 etc. the inmate "as likely to be able to unthinkingly e. Insofar as the inmate#s self has been unsettled a little by the stripping action of the institution. 5rivilege !ystem -hile the process of mortification is in progress. the admission procedures through "hich the recruit is initially stripped of his self&supporting conte. It "ill be understandable. Thus. namely. These regulations spell out the austere round of life in "hich the inmate "ill operate. the punishments meted . the inmate begins to receive formal and informal instruction in "hat "ill here be called the privilege system. a small number of clearly defined re"ards or privileges are held out in e. prisons. . it is important to see that the 3uestion of release from the total institution is elaborated into the privilege system. and some comparative information about life in other similar total institutions. for e.6 Typical infractions "hich can eventuate in messing up are0 fights. but merely the absence of deprivations one ordinarily e. The very notions.aminations. or a "ay of postponing release "ithout . villainy. and participation in collective riots. There are some special features of the privilege system "hich should be noted. using it "hen talking to inmates. %nd privileges. getting caught doing so. gambling. The inmates are moved.press the events that are crucial in their particular "orld. homose. %lso found among staff and inmates "ill be a clear a"areness of the phenomenon of messing up. . so called in mental hospitals. drunkenness. process of engaging in forbidden activity. !taff too.ample. an accumulation of lore about the establishment. or 6sickness. in& mates "ill possess kno"ledge of the various ranks and officials. 5laces to "ork and places to sleep become clearly defined as places "here certain kinds and levels of privilege obtain. . "ill kno" this language. %n institutional arrangement "hich causes a small number of easily controlled privileges to have a massive significance is the same arrangement "hich lends a terrible significance to their "ithdra"al. insubordination.uality. "hile reverting to more standardi/ed speech "hen talking to superiors and outsiders. the system is not. 1irst. -e find that an institutional lingo develops through "hich inmates e. especially its lo"er levels. limited in such a "ay that the same messing up may occur for 3uite different reasons. punishments and privileges are themselves modes of organi/ation peculiar to total institutions. indulgences or values. improper taking of leave. and barracks. (elated to this special argot. "e should also note that punishments and privileges come to be geared into a residential "ork system. failure at e. Immediately associated "ith the privilege system "e find some standard social processes important in the life of total institutions. attempted suicide. that a given messing up is a "ay for inmates to sho" resentment against a current situation felt to be un$ust in terms of the informal agreements bet"een staff and inmates. This involves a comple. .out in total institutions are of an order more severe than anything encountered by the inmate in his home "orld. then. inmates and staff may understand. . and inmates are shifted very rapidly and visibly from one place to another as the mechanisms for giving them the punishment or privilege their cooperativeness has "arranted. are not the same as prere3uisites. -hile these punished infractions are typically ascribed to the offender#s cussedness. and receiving something like the full punishment accorded this. "hile others become kno"n as means for lessening the sentence. !econd. .pects one "ould not have to sustain. Third. %n alteration in privilege status is usually implied and is categori/ed by a phrase such as 6getting busted. of punishments and privileges are not ones that are cut from civilian cloth.6 they do in fact constitute a vocabulary of institutionali/ed actions. !ome acts "ill become kno"n as ones that mean an increase or no decrease in length of stay. it should be emphasi/ed. Informally. . technics "hich do not directly challenge staff management but "hich allo" inmates to obtain disallo"ed satisfactions or allo"ed ones by disallo"ed means. deals. a kind of rudimentary. It should be added that "here ne" inmates can playa role in the system of secondary ad$ustments. It seems apparent that an important aspect of secondary ad$ustments is that they provide the inmate "ith some evidence that he is still. gimmicks.aggerated deprivations. in fact. other factors characteristically lead by different routes in the same general direction. . under his o"n control. namely. . . -e find. and persons defined as 6right guys6 on the other. e3ualitarian community of fate. . bet"een himself and the institution. as it "ere. The occurrence of secondary ad$ustments correctly allo"s us to assume that the inmate group "ill have some kind of a code and some means of informal social control evolved to prevent one inmate from informing staff about the secondary ad$ustments of another. that the same inmate "ill employ different lines of adaptation or tacks at different phases in his moral career and may even fluctuate bet"een different tacks at the same time. namely. these conditions allo" for different "ays of meeting them. leading to persons defined as 6s3uealers. 2ecause of secondary ad$ustments "e also find kitchen strata. . In total institutions there "ill also be a system of "hat might be called secondary ad$ustments.ore important as a reorgani/ing influence is the fraternali/ation process.6 6finks. It seems that the ne" recruit fre3uently starts out "ith something like the staff s popular misconceptions of the character of the inmates and then comes to find that most of his fello"s have all the properties of ordinary decent human beings and that the stereotypes associated "ith their condition or offense are not a reasonable ground for $udgment of inmates. as in providing ne" faction members or ne" se. -hile the privilege system provides the chief frame"ork "ithin "hich reassembly of the self takes place. but ho"ever pressing. the process through "hich socially distant persons find themselves developing mutual support and common counter& mores in opposition to a system that has forced them into intimacy and into a single. stratification of in& mates on the basis of each one#s differential access to disposable illicit commodities. %daptation %lignments The mortifying processes that have been discussed and the privilege system represent the conditions that the inmate must adapt to in some "ay.pect that one dimension of social typing among inmates "ill turn upon this 3uestion of security. then their 6"elcome6 may indeed be a se3uence of initial indulgences and enticements. although in many cases it "ould seem that the disorgani/ing effect of this moratorium is more significant than its organi/ing effect. These practices are variously referred to as0 the angles. instead of e. .6 or 6stoolies6 on one hand. !uch adaptations apparently reach their finest flo"er in prisons. (elief from economic and social responsibilities&much touted as part of the therapy in mental hospitals&is one. so also "e find social typing to designate the po"erful persons in the informal market system.having to admit to one#s fello" inmates that one really does not "ant to go. namely. kno"ing the ropes. conniving. largely informal. but of course other total institutions are overrun "ith them too. . etc. ins. his o"n man and still has some protective distance. )n the same grounds "e can e.ual ob$ects. seem to have "ards "here this spirit strongly prevails. It does seem to be the case.6 !taff itself may become vaguely embarrassed by this use that is being made of the institution. effectively speaking. presenting himself as someone "hose institutional enthusiasm is al"ays at the disposal of the staff. a deep kind of commitment to the establishment.ost large mental hospitals. "e fre3uently find here. another standard alignment in the institutional "orld takes the form of a kind of coloni/ation. . This drastic curtailment of involvement in interactional events is best kno"n. there is the process of situational "ithdra"al. for e. . !econd. as "ell as the currently limited facilities for doing so.perience of the outside "orld is used as a point of reference to demonstrate the desirability of life on the inside.imum satisfactions procurable "ithin the institution. E. th"arting the social arrangements based upon this felt discrepancy. Third. and another for the chronic "ard patient "ho adopts the manner and dress of attendants "hile helping them to manage the other "ard patients "ith a stringency e. The inmate intentionally challenges the institution by flagrantly refusing to cooperate "ith staff in almost any "ay. under the title of 6regression.celling that of the attendants themselves. thereby allo"ing themselves to present involuntary reasons for continued incarceration. They may find it necessary to mess up $ust prior to their slated discharge. The inmate "ithdra"s apparent attention from everything e. there is the rebellious line. It should be incidentally noted that any humanistic effort to make life in total institutions more bearable must face the possibility that doing so many increase the attractiveness and likelihood of coloni/ation. 1ourth. and the usual tension bet"een the t"o "orlds collapses. . Coloni/ers themselves may feel obliged to deny their satisfaction "ith the institution. moralistic. Characteristically. and a stable. that. . . sensing that the benign possibilities in the situation are someho" being misused.1irst. in mental hospitals. ho"ever. -hile the alignments that have been mentioned represent coherent courses to pursue. !ome mental hospitals have the distinction of providing t"o 3uite different conversion possibilities &one for the ne" admission "ho can see the light after an appropriate struggle and adopt the psychiatric vie" of himself. of course. if only in the interest of sustaining the counter&mores supporting inmate solidarity. . Interestingly enough. I do not think it is kno"n "hether this line of adaptation forms a single continuum of varying degrees of "ithdra"al or "hether there are standard discontinuous plateaus of disinvolvement. relatively contented e. given the pressures apparently re3uired to dislodge an inmate from this status. parado.ample.6 . the individual "ho too obviously takes this line may be accused by his fello" inmates of 6having found a home6 or of 6never having had it so good. . an irreversible line of adaptation. . monochromatic line. fe" . . The sampling of the outside "orld provided by the establishment is taken by the inmate as the "hole. the convert takes a more disciplined. one mode of adaptation to the setting of a total institution is that of conversion.istence is built up out of the ma. there are many circumstances in "hich sustained re$ection of a total institution re3uires sustained orientation to its formal organi/ation and hence. The inmate appears to take over completely the official or staff vie" of himself and tries to act out the role of the perfect inmate. The result is a constantly communicated intransigency and sometimes high rebel&morale. -hile the coloni/ed inmate builds as much of a free community as possible for himself by using the limited facilities available.ically.cept events immediately around his body and sees these in a perspective not employed by others present. "hat "e seem to find is that most inmates take the tack of "hat they call playing it cool. a line. . 1irst.inmates. and they may even learn to cut their ties to the outside "orld sufficiently to give cultural reality to the "orld inside but not enough to lead to coloni/ation. -hile staff constantly discredit these lines. it is time that must be "ritten off. %s such. Inmates taking this line tend to subordinate contacts "ith their fello"s to the higher claim of 6keeping out of trouble.citing to lift the participant out of himself. The lo" position of inmates relative to their station on the outside. carry these pursuits very far. conversion. (ather "e must look to the social disconnections caused by entrance and to the usual failure to ac3uire "ithin the institution gains that can be transferred to outside life & gains such as money earned. it seems. It is in this conte. coloni/ation and loyalty to the inmate group. In response. the inmate#s o"n self may become even more of a focus for his conversation than it does on the outside.6 . seems to make for a milieu of personal failure and a round of life in "hich one#s fall from grace is continuously pressed home. as established initially through the mortifying processes. 5erhaps the high level of ruminative self&concern found among inmates in total institutions is a "ay of handling the sense of "asted time that prevails in these places. or marital relations formed. or certified training received. namely. the inmate tends to develop a story. In most total institutions. the inmate "ill support the counter&mores "hen "ith fello" inmates and be silent to them on ho" tractably he acts "hen alone in the presence of the staff. so that in the particular circumstances the inmate "ill have a ma. making 9him: oblivious for the . . %nd as a result. the inmate tends to feel that for the duration of his re3uired stay&his sentence&he has been totally e. Culture Themes % note should be added here concerning some of the more dominant themes of inmate culture. it seems that in many total institutions a peculiar kind and level of self&concern is engendered. this time is something that its doers have bracketed off for constant conscious consideration in a "ay not 3uite found on the outside. -e should also note that ho"ever hard the conditions of life may become in total institutions. suppressing at least some of the disbelief and boredom engendered by these recitations. harshness alone cannot account for this 3uality of life "asted.6 They tend to volunteer for nothing. . If so.imum chance of eventually getting out physically and psychically undamaged. I refer here to the fact that in total institutions "e characteristically find a premium placed on "hat might be called removal activities.t that "e can appreciate some& thing of the demorali/ing influence of an indefinite sentence or a very long one. voluntary unserious pursuits "hich are sufficiently engrossing and e. !econd. inmate audiences tend to employ tact. This involves a some& "hat opportunistic combination of secondary ad$ustments. In conse3uence. Typically. in the inmate group of many total institutions there is a strong feeling that time spent in the establishment is time "asted or destroyed or taken from one#s life.iled from living. It is something that must be 6done6 or 6marked6 or 6put in6 or 6built6 or 6pulled. . then perhaps another interesting aspect of inmate culture can be related to the same factor. a sad tale&a kind of lamentation and apologia&"hich he constantly tells to his fello"s as a means of creditably accounting for his present lo" estate. . . if and "hen he gets out. that is. bitterness and alienation. enrapturing activity. neither the stripping processes nor the reorgani/ing ones seem to have a lasting effect. "e popularly employ the term 6stigmati/ation6 and e.&inmate "ill have forgotten a great deal of "hat life "as like on the inside and "ill have once again begun to take for granted the privileges around "hich life in the institution "as organi/ed. -ith the possible e.pect that the e. Conse3uences In this discussion of the inmate "orld. "ood& "ork. some are individual but rely on public materials. etc. private fantasy ought to be included too. 'o doubt the availability of secondary ad$ustments helps to account for this. Total institutions fre3uently claim to be concerned "ith rehabilitation. as do the presence of counter&mores and the tendency for inmates to combine all strategies and 6play it cool. so typically engendered by the inmate#s e. even in those cases "here a permanent stigma has resulted. it seems this claim is seldom reali/ed and even "hen permanent alteration occurs. % concluding "ord must be added about the long&range conse3uences of membership.&inmate may make an effort to conceal his past and try to 6pass. !ome of these activities may be officially sponsored by staff. but. these changes are often not of the kind intended by the staff. there seems to be no total institution "hich cannot be seen as a kind of *ead !ea in "hich appear little islands of vivid. "ith resetting the inmate#s self®ulatory mechanisms so that he "ill maintain the standards of the establishment of his o"n accord after he leaves the setting. choral singing and card playing. . !ome removal activities are collective.6 . 'o doubt. In fact. as in the case of reading. The sense of in$ustice. If the ordinary activities in total institutions can be said to torture time. 2ut "hat the e. and some. )ften entrance "ill mean for the recruit that he has taken on "hat might be called a proactive status. solitary T= "atching.perience and so definitely marking a stage in his moral career. the e. I have commented on the mortification process. and the cultural milieu that develops. it seems that shortly after release. may constitute secondary ad$ustments. as he comes to learn. seems to "eaken upon graduation.ception presented by the great resociali/ation efficiency of religious institutions. the lines of response taken by inmates under these circumstances. his social position on the outside "ill never again be 3uite "hat it "as prior to entrance.6 In any case. 'ot only is his relative social position "ithin the "alls radically different from "hat it "as on the outside. .&inmate does retain of his institutional e. not officially sponsored. -hen the proactive status is unfavorable. as it is for those in prisons or mental hospitals. these activities mercifully kill it.perience tells us important things about total institutions. lectures.time to his actual situation. In any case. such as ball games. the reorgani/ing influences.
Report "Erving Goffman - The Characteristics of Total Institutions"