Identity and total institution

• Main Author: Ljubičić Milana
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sociological Scientific Society of Serbia 2015-01-01
• Series: Sociologija
• Subjects: constructivism; discourse; identity; special hospital; forensic patients
• Online Access: http://www.doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/0038-0318/2015/0038-03181502231L.pdf

This paper analyses a psychiatric institution resident’s identity (self)- construction processes. Our quest was grounded on constructivist theoretical paradigm that sees identity as a manner a person defines oneself in accordance with offered social repertoire. In other words, the total institution milieu offers limited range of identities to its residents. On the other hand, the latter are not just passive subjects that identity is imposed upon. They are able to use a number of adjustment mechanisms to the knowledge about themselves - ranging from symbolic escape to open resistance against the imposed image about them; to obedience, and we were interested to understand the (supposed) complex dynamic of identity (re)-building in, so-called, special or forensic patients. In order to understand this process and attempting to discover, besides the manifest also the latent layer of the story about self, the local, or personal, identity understanding was examined.