Anthropology and Total Institutions
The presence of total institutions within our overall societal structure provides a unique opportunity for anthropologic inquiry through the standardization of individual behaviors. First introduced by sociologist Erving Goffman in his 1957 essay On the Characteristics of Total Institutions, the concept of total institution is used to describe "social arrangements which regulate, under one roof and according to one rational plan, all spheres of individuals' lives -- sleeping, eating, playing and working" (Goffman, Lemert and Branaman, 1997, p. 54). While total institutions exist in multiple forms throughout society, ranging from orphanages and nursing homes to army barracks and mental hospitals, perhaps no other organizational establishment embodies Goffman's conception of a total institution better than the modern prison. The intensely structured and overtly authoritarian environment fostered inside a prison system epitomizes a total institution because its "total character is symbolized by the barrier to social intercourse with the outside" (Goffman, 1961). Prison inmates conduct every aspect of their lives according to a strictly regimented schedule, acting in a single location and under a single authority while in close proximity to others, all while struggling to adhere to the institutions stated plan or mission. The modern prison is a classic representation of a total institution and prison inmates inevitably resort to proven anthropological patterns, including schismogenesis, resistance, presentation of the self and boundary creation, in an effort to successfully negotiate their positions within the overall structure. By examining the anthropological methods used by inmates in response to the pressures of total institutions, a more complete understanding of both Goffman's theory and the human psyche will be attained.
The repressive atmosphere and sheer violence which is endemic to nearly all modern prisons serves to relegate its inhabitants to anonymity by stripping inmates of their previously held sense of identity. The homogenization of personal signifiers like clothing, appetite and access to media, engineered by prison administrators in an attempt to mandate conformity, inevitably results in a phenomenon known as schismogenesis. This anthropologic tendency, first explicated by Gregory Bateson in the 1930's, is defined literally as "the creation of division" and occurs when members of a total institution form artificial...
Rapid innovations in technology, particularly telecommunications and transportation, have accelerated the globalization process in recent years, and a number of positive outcomes have been associated with these trends, including increased levels of international commerce and improved cross-cultural understanding and communications. Despite these significant positive outcomes, the same globalization processes have also further exacerbated existing economic and political inequalities between developed nations such as the United States and the United Kingdom.
104).. Berlin district mayor, Neukolln, asserts that multiculturalism in German has fallen short. Evidence shows that the recent increment in immigration is because of economic refugees from southern European nations because of the euro disaster (Conradt 2013, p.117). However, the debate regarding the considerable rise in immigration in German falls back to the Turkish community integration, which depicts the uppermost number of foreigners in Germany, the Europe largest economy. Scores of
On the other hand, multiculturalism appears to be automatic in conceding division (Werbner, 2006). In multicultural societies, issues of bias and racism invariably summon political leaders whose base of power is dependent on division. This is contrary with cosmopolitan societies, which considers division unworldly and rude. While one society keeps its opening up its wounds, the other one tends to let its wounds heal by themselves. This means that one
acculturative stress of African Catholic Missionary Nuns (ACMN) serving in the United States. This chapter is divided into five parts. The first part explains the meaning of acculturation and adaptation experiences specific to missionaries. This part emphasizes (1) different perspectives from social and behavioral scientists examining the phenomenon of acculturation (2) different theoretical models describing the stages of acculturation (3) dissimilarities between immigrants and missionary immigrants and what makes
Domestication of Dogs | Domestication represents a process of wild flora/fauna's genetic reorganization into farmed and domestic forms based on individual interests. To put it very precisely, domestication denotes the foremost stage of mankind's control over untamed fauna and flora. The chief difference between tamed fauna and flora and their wild ancestors who survive in their natural habitat is the former's cultivation, through human efforts, to fulfill particular requirements or fancies.
.. A series of symbols used to represent things. [and it is] a process of "coding and then decoding these symbols" (Lewis, 2006). And what must never be lost is that both speaker and listener are stakeholders in the process. Moreover, when the peaceful management of culturally diverse workers is pivotal to the success of a company, it's important to remember that "intention is not a necessary condition for communication,"
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