Comparison of the characteristics of homes for older people in Slovenia with Goffman's concept of the total institution

Leaving behind the ‘total institution’? Teeth, transcarceral spaces and (re)inscription of the formerly incarcerated body

“…Critiques of the 'total institution' Goffman (1961) defined the 'total institution' as a place of residence and work where a large number of like-situated individuals, cut off from the wider society for an appreciable length of time, together lead an enclosed, formally administered round of life (Goffman 1961, 11). Applied to an extraordinarily diverse range of circumstances and contexts, such as homes for the elderly (Mali 2008), psychiatric units (Skorpen et al 2008), the home (Noga 1991), the mass media (Altheide 1991), the military and the police (Rosenbloom 2011) and sport (Cavalier 2011), its appropriateness as a means of understanding the 'prison' has been widely critiqued; there are disjunctures between the theory and the actuality of imprisonment. Farrington (1992, 6), argues that the 'total institution' thesis is 'in fact, fairly inaccurate as a portrayal of the structure and functioning of the .…”

Spatial control and care in Finnish nursing homes

“…Elderly care has been studied through a spatial lens in the home, for example (England, ; Milligan, , ), but less so inside institutional environments (though see Mali, ; Milligan, ). Mali (, p. 433) argues that institutions of elderly care “define life in the institution subject to a spatial connectedness (a shared dining room, common rooms for afternoon rest, joint recreation).” In institutions, such spaces are defined for particular purposes (Parr et al., ), connecting specific people to specific areas (Repo, ). Controlling access to particular spaces is an essential part of everyday life, defining mobility between and inside institutional spaces for residents and staff.…”

“…Not seeing the outside world may increase the institutionalisation of residents and intensify the feeling of being isolated (Pirhonen & Pietilä, ). One head nurse (3/6/2016) related that the residents are afraid to go out because “they are institutionalised, it's so familiar and safe [in here].” One resident (5/7/2017) described the institution as “a different world” and “like an island in isolation,” reflecting Mali's () argument of nursing homes as special worlds, separated from the outside.…”

“…The example shows that spatial mistreatment is also relative and strongly linked to individual needs. Immobile residents, for instance, are dependent on the staff in almost every area of their lives (Mali, ). This creates a particularly delicate power relationship between the staff and the resident as the residents may be left in their rooms for a long time.…”

“…As demographic trends shift in the global north, the proportion of elderly people in each country is growing (Mali, ). Many of these people may have care needs and may need residential placement, particularly if experiencing cognitive impairment.…”