deinstitutionalisation as a machine, as a diagram colombo

7/29/2019 Deinstitutionalisation as a Machine, As a Diagram Colombo

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Total institutions are not dead,

they just smell funny.

Vito Flaker

Faculty for Social Work

University of Ljubljana


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Total institution is an

assemblage.

The deinstitutionalisation of the medieval monasteries,

courts and leprosaria gave birth to a new general totalinstitution (Great Closure),

social margin, indirect charity and caring professionswere invented.

The fall of the Bastille - yet another

deinstitutionalisation rebirth of of special institutions (prisons, lunatic asylums,

workhouses, borstals etc.),

efficient in discipline

providing a simulacrumstatus of the contractual individual. Discontinuity of the labels and destinies.


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Abstract machine

escapes history; it is an abstract machine (Deleuze, Guattari,1980),

appearing in different forms in different historic epochs anddifferent social environments.

re-enacting the blueprint, abstract scheme, assembling of themachine from various historical matters (power) and assemblingvarious expressions of human destinies.

an ideal type: no concrete institution has all the features of thetotal institution and none of its features is characteristic only forthe total institutions (Goffman,1961)

Although abstract it is very real, the total institution is a social fact(Castel, 1989).

aggiornamento of the total institution, its ability to rise likePhoenix from the ashes (Castel, 1976)


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Components

Enclosed space One explanation (illness) A lot of people in one place

Gap between the staff and inmates Guardian power[1] Processing of the people Central plan

[1] The staff take care of inmates, decide ontheir behalf.


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Atributes

Total life is contained in its totality, everything is taken care of byothers.

Anti-household there is no familiarity, even the housework isdelegated to the special services.

Homogeneous create a mass of uniformed individuals, marked byone dominant characteristic (e.g. mental illness, crime)

Artificial people are not there because of friendship, kinship,common interests, their relationships are artificial and unavoidable.

Non-verbal although ideology is an important part of the totalinstitution it is mainly regulated by non-verbal signs and rules (space,procedures, gazes, sitting orders, departments, medications, etc.).

Punitive life in a total institution is based on the reward andpunishment giving or taking privileges.

Intensealthough the inmates experienced it as a loss of time, theexperience is remembered as intense and important.


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Social functions

Containing the people not to wander

around.

Producing the deviant careers if you

have not been in the bin you are not a real

loony.

Creating of the professional powerif we

can not reach an agreement you can still

be sent to the bin.


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Deinstitutionalisation as a

machine, as a diagram:

Polemic

Programmatic


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Aim and target Attack, critique and

demolition

Programme, inventions

and innovation

Space and movement Closing, containment of

population

Opening, enabling

movements

Type of programmes Hard core of institutions

Community programmes foronly easy cases

Programmes for hard

cases

Relationship to total

institution

Complementarymutual

reinforcement

Alternativenegate total

institution

Relationship between the

users and professionals

Dependence and oppression

of users

Empowerment and inclusion

Social body Special body Connecting to other parts of

the social

Table: deinstitutionalising machine


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Aim and target Attack, critique anddemolition

Programme, inventionsand innovation

Function of staff Custodian, tutoring,

guarding, patronising role of

professionals

Role of an advocate

Other people Segregation Inclusion of different actors

Type of reasoning Deductive Inductive

Subjective Guilt Value of unique experience

Organisation of experience Individualism,

standardisation, isolation

New spaces of collective

freedom (camps, networks,

total communities).

Table: deinstitutionalising machine cont.


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Normalisation (social role

valorisation) Choices they can make

Relationships they form

Scope ofparticipation in decision making

Degree ofmixingwith other people

Possibilities forpersonal growth


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Real Choices

How much we control our lives? Can we make choices?

Labelled and devalued people are often seen as not being able to

make choices. The consequence is that they have little or no choice.So they have limited opportunities and experiences. Therefore,

little or no success when choosing. This leads to low self-esteem.

If the choices are enabled and the support in choosing and

understanding choice is given, a person is seen as competent andable to cooperate. He has opportunities for diverse experience.

Self-esteem grows with successful choices. Experience and

capabilities to choose should increase it and therefore also the

choices we make.


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Good Relationships

People need to be respected. Love, respect, regard for

intimacy and sexuality, sharing, closeness, friendship,

taking ones time when needed, empathy and

consideration are vitally important. It means that

people can rely on you, know you, because they are

your friends, lovers.

When relationships are not good, we notice distance,

coldness, disgust or disdain. Only partial role is beingoffered not the whole person. Pity and control

dominate; one is just a member of some group, not a

person.

Respect Friendship Love


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Participation

Participation is measure of power and

citizenship. It is way of implementing

rights. People can be treated as objects,but also consulted, represented. They can

manage services or even own them.


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Mixing

Integration is of vital importance. It enables people to learn new

skills, extend the experience and provide a role model.

There is internal segregation of the staff and inmates (segregated

facilities, segregated activities etc.) and there is externalsegregation or apartheid. Services can encourage or discourage

use of external, ordinary facilities (going to public libraries,

evening classes, places of culture or commerce, etc.)

Membership in reputable community organization, visiting valued

spaces, use of ordinary transport (cars, taxis, buses), and visits ofnot paid, valued people make a person more valued. Use of the

segregated facilities, residing in an asylum, being driven in an

official vehicle additionally stigmatises a person and makes him or

her devalued.


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Personal development

Services can make people feel welcome and important.

They can encourage them to develop or give off the

impression that this is futile. They can provide means

of intimacy or denude most of the aspects of life. Peoplecan be treated as individuals or they can be herded and

regimented.

People can be labelled negatively:

Sick, childish, dependent, thief, subnormal, stupid,

ugly, vile:

Or regarded positively

A lover, wise, citizen, student, talented, friend, worker,

tenant.

deinstitutionalisation as a machine, as a diagram colombo

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