“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 its environment, presenting import and export, building-up and breaking-down of its material components” (Bertalanffy,1988:4). This means that in an open institution we are more free to do what we want at any time as long as we do them legally without breaking the law. For example, at schools give homework for our benefit not the teachers; so a student can choose not to do the homework at their lose.
Furthermore, Bateson(1979:17) states that closed institutions are there to separate an individual from society and the environment. Closed institutions restrict an individual from doing things at their own will. An individual in this institution has no freedom because their life is governed, ruled and controlled by the laws that run the institution. Prisons would be a close example of an closed institution, because your whole life changes and now is governed by the prison rules and laws. However, a total institution is what transforms the life of a prisoner or inmate.
“Their encompassing or total character is symbolized by the barrier to social intercourse with the outside and to departure that is often built right into the physical plant, such as locked doors, high walls, barbed wires, cliffs, water, forests, or moors” (Goffman,1961:15-16). The lives of the prisoner has now changed because they are in an environment that is isolated from society and the outside world, where there is high security measures taken because of the fear that they cause harm to the community. Also, now they appear as threats and the only surroundings they have are other inmates, the officers and the blue sky. Now they do not have access to the views of Table Mountain nor the sea breeze of the ocean, they are introduced to the life of seeing the same things daily.
Goffman(1961:17) states that prisoners as a total institution can be a narrative draw up of three spheres. The first being that all parts of social life activities are done in the same place and under the same rule. He then continues by stating that all daily activities of inmates are done in large group of people, in prions all inmates are treated the same and must do the same activities together. Goffman ends up by stating that all daily activities in prisons strictly scheduled, with one activity leading to the next at certain time and that all these activities are set by formal rulings and officers of the prisons. Meaning that everyday meals are served at the same time, in the same venue, with the same people and there are always officers on duty to guard the inmates. Also, prisoners do not have superiority in prison regardless of what they were before being convicted, level of education or wealth. They are inferior in this institution and their superior is the officer or warden because they have the power over the prisoners now.
“It is characteristic of inmates that they come to the institution with a ‘presenting culture’ (to modify a psychiatric phase) derived from a ‘home world’- a way of life and a round of activities taken for granted until the point of admission to the institution” (Goffman, 1961:23). Prisoners lives are shaped and governed in the process of admission into the institution. Their lives change the because of their identity and culture is lost. For example, prisoners lose all their possessions which include expensive clothes, jewellery and cell phone which was part of what formed their identity and now you will be wearing the same orange over roll as the other prisoners. This is the end of what is social life because you will not be exposed to these possessions inside the institution. Once you in the prison authorities, your lifestyle before prison or level of education is irrelevant because now you are on the same level, have same rights and you are equal to other prisoners. Goffman (1961:26) notes that prison officers a new prisoner who does not make eye contact with an officer is a respectful and will be a complaint prisoner. This means that the officer will not be too harsh towards the prisoner because by not making eye contact with them means that the prisoner knows who is superior and has humbled themselves.
“The process of entrance typically brings other kinds of loss and modification as well” (Goffman, 1961:25). The self of the prisoner is modified by this institution. In other words, prisons shape the social life of the prisoner by modification and by changing the identities of the prisoners. Goffman (1961:25) defines modification as subduing ones’ bodily desires. This sub judication is to be under the domination of prison authorities and their discipline. Prisons modify the prisoners’ self from self with the intention to discipline the prisoner from the crime that they have been convicted for. The prisoners get their identity through social life. Now their social life is restricted because they do not have access to the resources that constructed their identity, they have to find new resources within the institution such as new interactions and relationships with other inmates and their environment to shape their social life and identity.
“Clothing, combs, needle and thread, cosmetics, towels, soap, shaving sets, bathing facilities- all these may be taken away or denied him, although some may be kept in inaccessible storage, to be returned if and when he leaves” (Goffman, 1961:29). Prisons govern the social life of a prisoner by controlling what they have access to which includes cell phones, money, the internet, dress code and society. Here your social life is different from the outside life because you are not free to doing what you want to do which includes eating fancy food in restaurants and waking up whenever you feel like doing so. A prisoner only interacts with other prisoners when you are all outside of their cells for some air or when they are doing the work activities allocated by the officers for them. However, despite the interaction with the other prisoners, you are not allowed to get involved in certain conversations especially when a guard is around. Your social life within this institution has barriers that you cannot cross because there will be harsh consequences. Prisoners cannot interact with officers in a social way as if they are talking to their friend, they have to interact with them in a respectful way such as addressing them as ‘sir’ and ‘madam’ because they control and have the power over them. If a prisoner used to slouch when walking in the outside world, that walk now changes into a more presentable posture because they not allowed to feel free because they are considered to be deviant due to their imprisonment. Their social life is now governed because they have to re-socialize and unlearn to learn.
“Total institutions frequently claim to be concerned with rehabilitation that is, with resetting the inmate’s self-regulatory mechanisms so that after he leaves he will maintain the standards of the establishment of his own accord” (Goffman, 1961:69). Prisons shape the social lives of prisoner’s by creating a new identity for them through rehabilitation and admission. This is because prisoners learn new ideas that they have to adapt as part of their identity. Their social lives are now shaped by changes in identity, how they used to things, their restriction with communication with the outside world and interactions. Like mentioned above, the prisoners have to show respect to their officers or wardens no matter how better they think they are then their officer or whether they know the officers. For example, a prisoner could have gone to the same high school as a guard and they were friends, but now that does not matter in prison because the guard is their superior, in control and the prisoner has to show respect to the guard at all times.