First published 2017
Erving Goffman explores what he calls total institutions, places where large groups of people live and work while separated from broader society for extended periods. He focuses primarily on mental hospitals while drawing comparisons to prisons, military barracks, and similar enclosed environments. Goffman examines these settings from the perspective of inmates rather than staff members. His central goal involves developing a sociological understanding of how the self functions within institutional structures. Each essay approaches this core question from a different angle, using distinct sociological frameworks and sources. This method allows Goffman to push each concept further than would be possible in a more integrated work. The book traces how institutional life shapes identity and social interaction, following sociological concepts back to their most applicable contexts and exploring their broader implications for understanding human behavior in controlled environments.
Genres: social-science, sociology, non-fiction, academic
Vibes: academic, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: academic-study, institutional-critique
Setting: Mental Hospitals, Prisons, Military Barracks
Period: 20th Century
408 pages · Kindle Edition · Routledge