ABSTRACT
THE model of the ‘total institution’ has tended to be used in a somewhat undifferentiated way; monastries, boarding schools, prisons, army units and mental hospitals have all been referred to under this ‘umbrella’ description. Yet the dissimilarities between such institutions may be greater than would at first appear. Although they are structurally similar, there are important differences in their objectives: just as the context in which the teacher, the prison officer and the nurse exercise power varies, so does their avowed purpose and so does their role. 1
