The Social Situation Of Mental Patients And Other Inmates

Mortification of the self is a process in which a person may be degraded or striped of their identity, willingly or unwillingly, for multiple different reasons. This process can also happen unconsciously or consciously. In his essay, â€Å"The Social Situation of Mental Patients and Other Inmates†, Goffman explains five main categories of these types of institutes that may use mortification of the self for their benefit or the communities benefit. In this essay, I will be discussing in more depth how prisons use the mortification of the self on their prisoners and how, in a way, colleges and the NCAA use mortification processes as well to shape their students and athletes. The first institute is for those that are incapable and harmless. For example, those who are blind, aged, or orphaned may be admitted to this type of institute. This institution may be thought of as a positive environment, and the mortification of the self a good thing for both those in control as well as those at the institute. The second is for those that are incapable, but may be harmful in the community. This can include a mental hospital and a leprosaria, so the community as well as the inmates would most likely benefit from the mortification processes. The third is for those who have proven themselves harmful. A penitentiary, jailhouse and POWs are some examples. These inmates wellbeing is not necessarily very important to those in control. These inmates are stripped of their belongings, their privacy,Show MoreRelatedEssays on the Social Situation of Mental Patients and Other Inmates by Erving Goffman1348 Words   |  5 PagesCurrently we have a few years the official diagnost ic manuals. DSM-IV and ICD-10 withdrew the term mental illness, replacing it with the term mental disorder. 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