What are your experiences with institutions? Have you or a family member ever been confined in one? Do you believe confining people in institutions ethical? Why or why not?

Critical Analysis Prompt:

Propose your own definition of institutionalization. Then, expand on your definition. What are the purposes of institutions? What are their characteristics? How might various forms of institutionalization/incarceration differ? 

I also think of the documentary we watched about people with disabilities being locked in institutions. In The Way We Treat People (or similar), it showed how people were forced to live in bad conditions, treated like they weren’t human, and often abused. It was really hard to watch. Seeing how people were taken away from their families and controlled like that made me think that a lot of these places do more harm than good.

To me, institutionalization means when someone is forced to live under strict rules in a place run by the government or another powerful group, like a prison, mental hospital, or group home. It’s not just being in the building—it’s how your freedom, choices, and voice are taken away.

The purpose of institutions is supposed to be safety, care, or rehabilitation. For example, prisons are meant to protect society and help people change. Mental hospitals are supposed to treat people with serious mental health problems. But in many of the readings and media we saw, that’s not always what happens. A lot of the time, the purpose gets lost, and the focus becomes control and punishment.

Institutions often have the same characteristics: strict schedules, uniforms, no privacy, and people in charge who make all the rules. In One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Nurse Ratched controls everything, even when the patients laugh or go outside. That shows how people inside lose their freedom in big and small ways.

My experiences with institutions aren’t amazing, I highly doubt anyone who has this sort of experience finds it particularly grand. I myself, as well as m y little sister, have been proposed grippy sock vacations when the depressive episodes get a little too long and depressing. However, that isn’t the form of institutionalization I am most familiar with. I come from a family of drug addicts, starting with my paternal grandparents. Luckily my father never fell victim to the battle with addiction, but his younger brothers did. Two of my uncles and my grandfather have been to prison, on drug related and assault related charges. While in prison, they were able to get clean which was always a plus, even if they went straight back to it as soon as they were out. Now on the basis of whether or not it’s ethical for people to be confined in institutions, I don’t think it is. It’s incredibly immoral even though sometimes I feel it is necessary (not always just certainly in the case of my family). The treatment of persons within institutions has always been, spare some rare cases, historically bad. In “Institutions” by Licia Carlson, we track the history of institutions and how they have been around for centuries , and it predates the institutions we think of. “The seventeenth and eighteenth centuries witnessed a period of what Michel Foucault has called “the great confinement” (Carlson 110). This was the point of time where any “undesirables” were taken off the street. The people that differed, the so called “bad apples” of society, the ones that people simply didn’t like looking at, were institutionalized in one way or another. When we look at other examples, we have 19-year old Ashley Smith, who died in the confinement of an institution under the direct supervision of guards (Reconsidering Confinement 16).   So how could something that has been historically horrible, be morally right? The truth is, in my opinion, it’s just not.

Critical Analysis Prompt

If I could define institutionalization, I would define it as the “the mass incarceration of those who differ from what is considered the norm, with all intents and purposed of fixing them”. Historically we have seen institutions pop up on the basis of containing the undesirables of society. For example, to contain leprosy during the 12th century in Europe, the Bethlehem Hospital was opened in 1247 (Carlson 109). This hospital later became an institution for the mentally ill. Then we get “the great confinement” where all the “undesirables” were institutionalized. Already, we see a huge similarity, and that is those who are different than what is considered the norm. Residential Schools kept Native American children against their will with all intents and purposes of converting them to the Christian lifestyle; Ripping them away from their families and ripping them away from their culture. We know now that a lot of those children died and were placed in hidden mass graves. The purposes of these institutions were to turn “disabled” or the different into productive working members of society (Carlson 110). This is seen as broadly true. Most institutions strive to change the person, prisons exists to house and reform criminals, psych wards exist to house and “help” those struggling with mental health struggles, etc. Institutions vary, but they keep very similar characteristics such as the managers and the managed. In “Total Institutions” by Kathleen Hones and A. J. Fowles, we get an itemized list of things that a lot of institutions have in common, one of those being the manager and the managed. I think that is the all encompassing factor of institutions. I think the biggest difference between institutions are who they are made to house.

If I were asked to define what institutionalization is, I would probably say institutionalization is the process of confining individuals to a space in which they are separated from another portion of society or multiple other portions of society. While this may seem like a broad definition, it would essentially encompass what institutionalization is in the world. In the writing by Licia Carlson, institutions are briefly described as “vast houses of confinement” which are designed to exclude the poor, criminal, mad, and other undesirables from society. While I don’t necessarily believe this is what my definition is exactly, it could certainly fall under the broader scope of what I described. As there are many definitions of what institutions are, many purposes can be revealed through the study of these definitions. In Reconsidering Confinement: Interlocking Locations and Logics of Incarcerations, Disability rights coalition Self Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE) defines an institution as “any place, facility, or program where people don’t have control over their lives”. This particular definition of institutions is on the negative side and would have them portrayed as they often are seen in the real world. Similarly, in the writing by Kathleen Jones and A. J. Fowles, a total institution is 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, formally administered round of life”. While this definition is slightly different, ultimately it still encapsulates the concept of being separated and isolated. This is often a characteristic of institutions. While many institutions share similarities from a broader point of view, there are often times where there are differences. Prison is not often considered similar or the same thing as a nursing home even if there are similarities and comparisons. A school could also be jokingly compared to a prison or incarceration even if they are fundamentally different, there could certainly still be similarities.

With my own definition, institutionalization is when someone is sent to a facility for either personal purposes such as a psych ward, disability help, and more or serving time for a crime that an individual has done. To expand my thinking, facilities usually give an individual their day to day schedule with scheduled meals, what time they get up/go to sleep, and more. In institutionalization you do not have free will to do what ever you desire and are on their schedule. In one of the readings it states,”the professionalization of experts who studied and treated disability; a growing interest in education, training, rehabilitation, and new forms of ‘moral therapies’; economic and social concerns about transforming ‘the disabled’ into productive working members of society’ (Carlson, Pg 110). The purpose of institutions is to create productive citizens but not only that, to help out individuals who have mental and physical disabilities. On the other hand, when it comes to prison or jail, the inmates are given time to think about what they have done and to reflect. The goal is to get them back out into society as better people. Characteristic wise for psychiatric wards are 24/7 surveillance, everything is baby proofed, medical professionals, therapists, hour to hour schedules, and more. Disability centers come with a care team, hour to hour schedule, limited autonomy, and more. Lastly, with prisons there is lots of security, limited options, chores, scheduled days, and more. Different forms of institutionalization and incarceration include how people are treated differently, different background, timeline can be different as to when they will return back to society, and more.

My definition of institutionalization is when a person is being held in a facility due to a specific reason. Reasons can include but are not limited to disabilities, age, mental illnesses, or physical reasons. I think the purpose of institutions are to provide a space where people who need care, can receive care by professionals in that field. I believe that the different forms of institutionalization and incarceration differ due to the standards formed due to the difference in people being held. “The moral extaltation/dengiration in which the staff are disproportionately responsible for positive outcomes, while inmates/consumers are disproportionately responsible for negative outcomes…” (Reconsidering Confinement, pg. 15). Due to incarceration being associated typically with prisoners, the care levels tend to shift negatively typically. Which institution tend to be associated with mental health or nursing home, which is more of a positive environment, in which a more positive outcome.

            Institutionalization is when you deploy people who have specific needs of inadequate mental or emotional health or may be inadequate to continue physically being productive around general society due to elderly disadvantages. Institutions are typically meant for many kinds of needs in all factors of human health; however, it is also important so those who are inadequate get the support they need to either continue improving in their mental or emotional health. This may also lead for some people to continue this way for the rest of their lives surrounded by professionals because they are not physically adequate to take care of oneself. The characteristics of an institution are normally shown as comforting and supportive for human needs, especially for those who are not capable. However, some characteristics in institutions may be shown as violent, abusive, and worst of all cringes for most norm in society. For example, A woman named Ashley Smith in 2007 was exposed to multiple institutions for many years due to throw crabapples at a letter carrier. However, her “treatment” was not no ordinary procedure for a woman who is struggling with mental health. Ashley Smith unfortunately died under supervision due to multiple ways of physical abuse (physical restraint, pepper spray, and an apparatus) and also mental abuse (Isolation & extensions on her sentence) (Chris Chapman et al.,2013). In the end, we must increase the importance in the care we have for others mental and physical health, but we should care for others who are suffering and committing the wrong decisions; just because someone is committing a crime or being deviant does not mean we can change people from doing better in the future so they can evolve into being norm in their own way around society so then everyone can have an equal opportunity to feel free and not isolated by other rules around them.

If we are just talking the word “institutionalization” I would define that as, “Getting used to a facility that makes you a different person when you leave, whether that is a good or bad change” The big point of an institution is to help people and that usually involves great structure that will inevitably change their lives and personality. In my mind the purpose of these institutions is to help people. The entire point is to help people, whether they do end up helping them or not. The reading on page 3 of Reconsidering Confinement (Chapman, Carey, Ben Moshe) says that treatment can sometimes be harmful and against the patients will. While I do see where this is coming from, I do not think that is the intent of institutions. Some characteristics of institutions would be structure and authority. I say this because the entire point of an institution is structure. Different forms of institutionalization/incarceration could be drastically different. My mother used to work at a center where children with profound disabilities would live. They entered the facility as children and stayed in the system until they passed. That type of institution is obviously quite different from a boarding school that parents pay for their children to attend, and the children usually want to go. These both are very different from jail or prison also. Typically if you are in jail or prison, it is self inflicted. People that were born with disabilities or became disabled, did not do something illegal to get them put into that situation.

Institutionalization is widely defined in different ways of describing someone that is involved in an institution. Institutions can be a wide variety of different things such as, jail/imprisonment, rehabilitation centers, or even an old person institution. Institutions provide things such as care and security. Or can involve things such as a structured environment with a set of rules that everyone in there must follow. An example of why institutions can mean completely different things is one being like i stated above, incarceration which would be meaning the person did something wrong, and the other being hospitalization which would be someone being sick or injured. The big difference between the two in my opinion is the end goal of them both, one being to serve their time and get out and the other one being to get better whether its a sickness or injury they are trying to recover fully which is the end goal for all people in a hospitalized institution. For example, this author says “ prison personnel, like inmates, are under surveillance and security, and are disciplined to interact with inmates in certain ways (Foucault 1995) is one aspect of Bhabha’s Third Space that is equally applicable to asylums, group homes, sheltered, workshops, day programs, and other diverse sites of institutionalization” (Chris Chapman et al., 2013).

I personally have never been in an institution before; however, I had been in therapy and was scared to talk because my therapist because she would threaten institutes and would attempt to tell my mother things I had said. My mother when she was younger was confined in a mental institute because she had not listened to her mom when she was 17 and her mother used it as punishment. I believe confinement in institutions is unethical. While some forms are necessary and some are more humane than others, majority of institutions control individuals' freedom and expression. Many times, out of ten, individuals are confined without consent, are oppressed, abused, etc. The third article stated, "This enabled her to be held in isolation for beyond what is legal. She died under guards' direct observation, as they waited for her to go unconscious before intervening, as per their directives" (16 Chapman, Carey, and Ben-Moshe). These lack of personal rights are very unethical and harmful to people admitted in institutions.

Critical Analysis Prompt:

My personal definition of institutionalization is the act of putting someone into an institute or being sent to live for a period of time to better help the people sent there. As stated in Institutions, "Disability scholars also address institutionalization as an active progress. The various calls either to institutionalize people with disabilities...or else to deinstitutionalize them...reflect complex social goals" (1 Carlson). This practice becomes "normalized" within our society. The purposes of these institutions are to maintain societal expectations, strengthen communities, and regulating behavior. Structure, authority, and interdependence are all characteristics of institutions. With institutions, you're there because of mental health and disability issues while on the other hand, incarceration deals with confinement in prison because of a conscious decision to break the law.

Institutionalization to me means the process of placing a person in an institution or for example putting someone in a mental institution which can make them adapt to institutional life. The purpose of an institution are to help people with mental issues get adjusted to life without social life. Characteristics of an institution include having rules and norms and they might differ because incarceration is more violent than an an institution and this is all i can think of

I feel as if when were talking about confining in people in institutions is complex that depends on numerous factors for confinement for example Respect for human rights , ensuring that people no matter the race are treated with respect and fairness regardless of their circumstances , example 2 , conditions care providing humane living conditions , access to healthcare and resources to rehabilitation center

Have you or a family member ever been confined in a institution, my uncle me And him share the same name he was in a institution such as prison

Institutionalization is used to describe when a person is placed in an institution. Institutions also take many different forms, some examples are; prisons/jails, mental institutions, and old people institutions. Institutions, as explained by Goffman and discussed by Jones and Fowles, are not just places where people live or work, but environments designed to reshape people’s identities. They describe them as “the forcing houses for changing persons” (p. 105). This process starts right at admission, when a new member is subjected to “a series of abasements, degradations, humiliations and profanations of self” (p. 105). Things like taking away personal belongings, giving everyone the same clothing, or assigning numbers instead of names are explained as practical steps, but their “real purpose is role dispossession” (p. 105). In other words, the institution strips away who the person was before and reduces them “from a person with many roles to a cipher with one: the ‘inmate role’” (pp. 104–105). Goffman makes it clear that not all institutions are the same, but some are more controlling than others: “there is a continuum from open to closed institutions, but there is a break towards the closed end, separating off a group … which can be described as ‘total’” (p. 103). This means a boarding school might feel less restrictive than a prison, but both still limit freedom and force conformity. The way this happens differs depending on the institution. For example, prisons rely on punishment and surveillance, mental hospitals rely on medical treatments and authority, and schools or convents use rituals and moral rules. Despite these differences, the outcome is similar: loss of individuality. To justify their practices, institutions push an “institutional perspective: a view of life which denies [the inmate’s] individual perspective and validates the institution’s existence” (p. 106). People adapt in different ways, such as resisting, withdrawing, or “colonizing,” but the only response accepted by authorities is conversion, which Jones and Fowles explain is “not really survival, but a kind of personal extinction” (p. 106). In the end, institutions function to maintain control by reshaping people into compliant subjects.

I would define institutionalization as the process where a person becomes part of an institution and starts to depend on it, sometimes losing their sense of freedom or self because the institution controls a lot of parts of their life. Institutions are organizations created to take care of people or control behavior, like schools, prisons, or hospitals. Their main purpose is usually to keep order, provide help, and or protect society. A key characteristic of institutions is that they have strict rules and routines that everyone inside must follow. For example, in “institutions” by Carlson the mental hospital shows how rules and control can affect people’s behavior. Different forms of institutionalization or incarceration can be very different depending on the institution’s goal. Prisons focus on punishment and control, while hospitals might focus on treatment, and schools on education. But all of them can make people feel like they have less freedom because they have to follow rules all the time. Sometimes, institutionalization means people start to act in ways that fit the institution’s expectations instead of being themselves. So, while institutions can serve important purposes, they can also change people in deep ways, sometimes negatively.

To me, institutionalization is when you and others willing to, no longer have the capacity or desire to help or care for you anymore. I think that the “purpose” of institutions is to help people whether it be through a tough time in their life, rehabilitating someone to go back into society, or helping someone through the end of their life. While that may be the purpose, it often seems that there is a lot of malpractice or mistreatment happening inside the walls of these facilities. Institutions in my head are very similar to big hospitals. A big building with many many rooms of differing security. They might differ in certain ways that people are treated, and the things that they do there