Total institution: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

As defined by Erving Goffman, a total institution is an social microcosm dictated by hegemony and clear hierarchy; examples include boarding schools, concentration camps, prisons, mental institutions and boot camps.

Rites of passage and indoctrination occur within these confines in such a way that the total institution acts as a secret society within the society, one which shapes newcomers willingly or unwillingly into a new and more or less permanent social role.