Total Institutions Are Powerful Agents Of Socialization

Most people are exposed to the same principals and agents of political socialization. Families spread values that support political authorities and can heavily contribute to children's initial political ideological views, or party preferences. Families influence political knowledge and identification depending on variables such as family demographics, life cycle, parenting style, parental level of political skepticism and frequency of political discussions. Demographics such as gender and age also attribute to political socialization. School is another agent of political socialization. Spending numerous years in school, children in the United States are taught and reinforced a view of the world that their text books tell them to trust. Through primary, secondary and high schools, students are taught key principles such as individual rights and property, personal responsibility and duty to their nation. Another is mass media. Mass media is not only a source of political information; it is an influence on political values and beliefs. Various media outlets, through news coverage and late-night programs, provide different partisan policy stances that are associated with political participation. Religions, beliefs, and practices play a role in political opinion formation and political participation. The perspective offered by religious institutions shape judgement regarding public policy, and political decision

Wolfesberger (1975) identified some negative features of large-scale institutions, individuals were segregated from society often kept in degrading conditions and treated inhumanely.

The novel 'Raw', written by Scott Monk, shows that an institution may have varying effects on an individual. In this case the institution being 'The Farm'. The aim of the institution, being to transform the bad ways/behaviours of the individual. The individuals are expected to be in compliance of the rules and expectations of the caretakers, Mary & Sam. If the individuals protest to these, they can expect the consequences. The institution can have positive effects on the individuals, they can learn to trust respect, and treat people the right way. This can also backfire in some cases.

tudied and observed and their behavior was measured with several methods. The results that the researchers found were fascinating. A breakdown of ethics and moral were almost instantaneous. The group with the power would come to abuse it and the group who had had their power taken away had become docile and submissive. The researchers concluded that the penal systems a whole was flawed in its ways of action and application of the treatment of its inmates and in the training of its guards. They also concluded that the psychology breakdown in this confined and control experiment was crucial in understanding the human psyche and how it handles certain situations.

Containing individuals in an institution when they have the ability to live in the community, places severe restrictions on an individual’s ability to interact with the community. When individuals who could benefit from a community placement remain institutionalized, it causes a false perception that all people in institutions are unable to function in a community setting. The

In early years of the last century, housing mentally individuals in local jails or prisons was seen as inhumane and a reform movement led by Dorothea Dix began. This led to the building of mental hospitals. It was once believed that mentally ill individuals deserved to be treated and not punished. However, deinstitutionalization happened which was the emptying of state mental hospitals due to overcrowding and deterioration as well as the introduction of effective anti-psychotic medications and increased funding for the establishment of mental health centers. By the early 1970’s, it was becoming evident that the emptying of the state mental hospitals turned many prisons throughout the U.S into institutions. Despite this clear evidence, deinstitutionalization continues even to this day. The mentally ill, left with few resources, largely turned to petty crime, ending up in prison because there were no other better alternatives.

"What is eliminated in prison is choice. What is encouraged is obedience. Bruno Bettelheim illustrated the result when he stated 'a prisoner had reached the final stage of adjustment to the camp situation when he had changed his personality so as to accept as his own the values of the Gestapo....Can one imagine a greater triumph for any system than this adoption of its values and behaviour by its powerless victims?' Until choice can be freely exercised and caring behaviour encouraged, there can be no meaningful change and the 'rehabilitation' of 'criminals' will only be a system's triumph over the values and behaviour of the powerless in our society." (Knopp, Boward, Morris, Schnapper, 1976 p9)

Institutionalization as it refers to inmates is when inmates have served so much time in prison, they are unable to function in the world once released. Inmates become dependent and use to the way of living behind bars after being in prison for so many years. In prison they tell you when to wake up and go to bed, when to shower, when to eat, when you have free time, and when you can come out of your cell and when you have to go back. This becomes a normal life to most of these inmates. From my knowledge and what I have seen from some prisoners once they have spent so many years institutionalized, once they get out of prison they do not know what to do with themselves, so the end up committing a crime for the reason of hoping to return back

Have you ever thought about why you have the political beliefs and values you do? Where did they come from? Are they simply your own ideas and experiences or have you been influenced by others in your thinking? This process by which individuals acquire their political beliefs and attitudes is called political socialization. In another words, Political socialization is a concept where the study of the developmental processes by which children and adolescents acquire political cognition, attitudes and behaviors. What people think and how they come to think it is of critical importance to the stability of the government. The beliefs and values of the people are the basis for a society's political culture and that culture defines the

Institutionalization is when an individual is so dependent on an institution that they cannot function outside of it. This is reinforced by the daily routines of the prison. Some characters in the Shawshank Redemption that demonstrate institutionalization is Brooks and Red. Brooks demonstrates institutionalization when he attacks Hayworth to remain in prison. Red followed in Brooks footsteps when he did not think that he could handle living on the outside and almost violated his parole.

Total Institution is a place in society in which a group of people follows all the same guidelines/rules and conform to the way society thinks to be the norm. Amoung total institution many things in the environment are under control like the way one might dress or act. Depending on where a person is, that might affect the way they carry themselves. In the program "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," does a great job by showing the characteristics of a controlled environment such as; hierarchy, adjustment, depersonalization, and institutionalization.

Andrew Vachss--an American crime author, child protection consultant, and minority youth lawyer--once said, “All children are born pure egoists. They perceive their needs to the exclusion of all others. Only through socialization do they learn that some forms of gratification must be deferred and others denied” (Vachss). Vachss’ view that inequalities and prejudice are in fact learned behaviors is supported by analysis of the agents of socialization--the groups that “transmit their values, behavior patterns, and understandings of their social world to a person” (Farley 31). The socialization of an individual is a continuing process where one must learn the norms, behaviors, values, and social skills according to his or her given social position (31). The agents of socialization--specifically family, school, and media--are responsible for the perpetuation of discrimination in society; not only do they highlight the differences between people, but they also create normative-mainstream ideals and exclude those who are inherently different.

Public executions have been common throughout human history with arguably the most noteworthy or famous – the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

Why does a person behave the way they do? Why does each person have a distinct personality? Scientists believe that this has to do with nature and nurture. Meaning, a person's social activities, and personality are dictated by the traits they have inherited from their parents, but also from environmental influences. There are four agents of socialization that have been chosen as the most impacting on a person's life. These agents of socialization influence how a person will behave, influence, and think among society. Although the family has been categorized as the most influential agent of socialization, this is not the only agent that impacts a person life. In this essay, I will go over how family, peer groups, school, and mass media affect a person from an early age and the impacts it brings to society.

Socialization is the process by which culture is learned; also called enculturation. During socialization individuals internalize a culture's social controls, along with values and norms about right and wrong. Socialization is a complex process that involves many individuals, groups, and social institutions.