Goffman Total Institution

First off, the hospitals are no longer referred to as insane asylums, they are referred to as mental hospitals, rehab, and so on. The daily schedule in hospitals today is very similar to the hospitals in the 1920’s. The day starts with a wake up call then seven o’clock breakfast is served (O’Brien). Both then and now hospitals had outburst in patients. A patient may screem when not agree with the doctors, grabbing others attention, or a patient might react rationally.

Thesis: The relationship made with people in life helps one stay in reality and keeps one grounded in morals. If one completely blocks out society and get lost in their imagination it can progress into an unhealthy alternate reality. Without the support of friends and family one can dwell in an irrational state of mind.

When I arrive to the facility this morning I was informed that one of the patients had passed away during the night, which was quite sad. Today I was in the acute ward all day and was able to watch the RN perform an ECG on a man that was bought in via ambulance who was complaining of chest pain. I watched as she placed the ECG leads on different positions of the chest. The RN showed me what a normal heart rate should look like. I also went around the ward taking OBS and notice that one of the patient's O2 levels were very low at 73%, the RN then gave the patient some ventolin through a mask to increase oxygen levels and they rose to 95%. The RN also showed me the medication charts and how they are to be read. I went around with her watching

In chapter 4 of The Sociologically Examined Life, Michael Schwalbe discusses “Relationships, Groups, and Interdependence.” This chapter covers several topics in-depth of relationships and why we categorize things the way we do.

Throughout our lives, everyone that we share bonds with and interact with on a regular basis, either forms or has some sort of influence on our identity. Consequently, the majority of us naturally find ourselves striving to fit in with these people, especially during the tough transition from childhood to adulthood. It is this part of the human condition that makes us feel as though we must forge ties with something outside of ourselves in order to establish a strong sense of existence and a clear understanding of who we are. Although most individuals are able to make these connections with others naturally, others who stray from the social norm might not be so fortunate, but rather than

Sociological approaches are “systematic, sceptical and critical study of the social. It studies the way people do things together”. (Macionis and Plummer 2012) It also “goes beyond everyday common sense by using systematic methods of empirical observation and theories” (Boundless [online] 2015). I will be using Goffman’s functionalist sociological approach of Dramaturgy to understand human life and to analyse my first few weeks of university. Goffman’s sociology is “concerned with everyday life, in particular with showing the tenuous nature of social life.”(Smart, n.d) His theory is based on symbolic interactionalism and used widely to look at micro sociological accounts of social interactions which occur in day to day life. Over my first few weeks at university I noticed a wide range of social practices and observed people handing unfamiliar situations as well as experiencing them first hand myself. Therefore I felt that taking the functionalist approach of dramaturgy was a relevant and fitting theory to explain an approach to understanding both human and university life and the presentation of self in society.

Rosenhan mentioned that the staff members occasionally shouted at and sometimes hit mental patients who would attempt to make contact with them too often. Those occasions mentioned in the study were recorded from other hospitals and did not appear to occur within either the first or second experiment, however, the pseudopatients did report that they were ignored resolutely by the staff members and only had the other patients to interact with. Aside from being ignored by the authority figures in the building there was also little to no stimulation, patients would apparently wait outside the cafeteria for lunch simply because meals were one of the few things that patients had to look forward to. Most pseudopatients were bored enough to give actual patients psychological help, ask their relatives to bring them missed classwork, and a variety of other things to pass the time. On top of this they were under constant surveillance with only minor privacy in certain places, such as the bathroom. All of this cumulates into a very stressful situation that the pseudopatients endured for an average of nineteen days. However, no damage was reported in the study, all pseudopatients volunteered to act in the experiment, and it yielded important data that reveals quite a bit about psychiatric wards and the changes that should be implemented to make them better. Overall, it was worth the potential

I asked Mrs. Arrick, what happened. Mrs. Arrick advised me that Mrs. Leann Mercer came into her office and stated that she was about to pass out. Mrs. Mercer started jerking and not responsive. Mrs. Arrick immediately called code blue.

Small patient groups within the wards, along with large community meetings, there feelings are shared and patients' comments taken seriously, and work assignments, recreational activities, are assigned to make the hospital less like a "holding" environment. .

Although in normative circumstances where I am familiar with people, I don’t mind close proximity of others to my person. This acceptance of my “in-group” in many ways is reflected in several studies; one of which is

Through the social connections of individuality and affiliation, we become who we are known as. Primarily, we start life with the influence of our elders. By the time we reach puberty, social awareness comes into play, and our own sense of originality takes flight with what we hear, see and touch and this, in turn, forms our connection with society. In sequence with this, our affiliation with friends and family form the backdrop of our existence, while our originality as an individual configures our personality. “Relationships

Picture this scenario: You are working in the emergency room of a public hospital where the

My family shaped my personal and social identity at a micro level by being the first set of influencers the moment I was born. My personal identity is significantly influenced by my family through the approach that my parents have taken to raise and nurture me. The results of my parents raising me is shown through the behaviour and beliefs that I embody. For example, because of my family I have always been aware that there is a God. In consequence, my compliant behaviour towards religion has already been constructed at a young age. Moreover, my social identity’s structure was shaped by my family through they way they have socially interacted with me. My micro level interactions with my family throughout time has created a deeply rooted influence within me. The influence that my family has had on my social identity is demonstrated in the way that I respond in certain social situations. For example, through behavioural observation as a child I have learned not to speak back to my parents when they are lecturing me.

Social interaction occurs between all individuals in society and can be studied through the use of the sociological imagination. A sociological imagination allows one to link their everyday activities and situations to society as a whole. I can study my own personal social interactions and the situations I encounter by applying concepts, theories, and perspectives that sociologists have developed for analyzing society and social situations. Although I encounter situations on a day-to-day basis, one notable example would be when I volunteered at the soup kitchen, where I had to control my emotions and play a specific role as part of my volunteer position.

During my first day of clinical, I met with my clinical instructor and my classmates in the lobby around 2:15 p.m. The goal was to take a tour of the facility and get acquainted with the staff. The lobby was warm and inviting, with wood floors and comfortable furniture. It was also busy with clients being discharged or coming in for the initial intake. One client, in particular, was sitting behind me wearing handcuffs along with two police escorts. The client gave an impression of being stable while sitting there. It seemed as if he was coming from Baylor Hospital. Nurses from other facilities were there filling out paperwork and checking in their patients. Family members were also there picking up their loved ones. The clients were escorted by mental health technicians, to ensure the safety of the client. On many occasions, mental health technicians provide direct patient care under the supervision of a registered nurse. Their primary responsibilities include the provision of a safe and therapeutic milieu, crisis intervention and activities of daily living.