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Asylums: Essays on the Social Situation of Mental Patients and Other Inmates Paperback – November 10, 1961

by Erving Goffman (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars 238 ratings
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Asylums is an analysis of life in "total institutions" -- closed worlds such as prisons, army training camps, naval vessels, boarding schools, monastaries, nursing homes and mental hospitals -- where the inmates are regimented, surrounded by other inmates, and unable to leave the premises. It describes what these institutions make of the inmate, and what he or she can make of life inside them. Special attention is focused on mental hospitals, drawing on the author's year of field work at St. Elizabeth's in Washington, D.C., one of America's most well-known institutions. It is the thesis of this book that the most important factor in forming a mental-hospital patient is the institution, not the illness, and that the patient's reactions and adjustments are those of inmates in other types of institutions as well.

The first essay is a general portrait of life in a total instituion.  The other three consider special aspects of this existence: the initial effects of institutionlization on the inmate's previous social relationships; the ways of adapting once in the institution; and the role of the staff in presenting to the inmate the facts of his or her situation.
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  1. Print length
    386 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Anchor Books / Doubleday
  4. Publication date
    November 10, 1961
  5. Dimensions
    5.17 x 0.89 x 7.95 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0385000162
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0385000161
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Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Asylums is an analysis of life in "total institutions"--closed worlds like prisons, army camps, boarding schools, nursing homes and mental hospitals. It focuses on the relationship between the inmate and the institution, how the setting affects the person and how the person can deal with life on the inside.

From the Inside Flap

Asylums is an analysis of life in "total institutions"--closed worlds like prisons, army camps, boarding schools, nursing homes and mental hospitals. It focuses on the relationship between the inmate and the institution, how the setting affects the person and how the person can deal with life on the inside.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Anchor Books / Doubleday
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 10, 1961
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ First Edition
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 386 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0385000162
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0385000161
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.17 x 0.89 x 7.95 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 238 ratings

About the author

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Erving Goffman

Erving Goffman

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Erving Goffman was Benjamin Franklin Professor of Anthropology and Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania until his death in 1982. He is recognized as one of the world's foremost social theorists and much of his work still remains in print. Among his classic books are The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life; Interaction Ritual; Stigma; Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity; and Frame Analysis. William B. Helmreich is a professor of sociology at the CUNY Graduate Center and City College. He has written Against All Odds, The Enduring Community, Saving Children, and The Things They Say Behind Your Back all available from Transaction.

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4.6 out of 5 stars
238 global ratings

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Customers find the book well written and easy to read. They appreciate its educational value, with one customer noting it's a must for students studying social sciences.

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7 customers mention "Literacy"7 positive0 negative

Customers praise the book's literacy value, with one noting it's a must for students studying social sciences, while another mentions it helped them write papers.

"A must have for the young sociologist to understand how our society works as a group and how that trickles down to affect the behavior of the..." Read more

"Excellent condition , The concepts are as true today as when the book was first written,a must for any student studying the social sciences." Read more

"Great book for Sociology or Political Science read." Read more

"...this book during one of my classes at college and it helped me in many ways to write papers...." Read more

3 customers mention "Readability"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well written and easy to read.

"...He can get wordy and redundant but all in all I think it is a rather good read...." Read more

"...Well written." Read more

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1 out of 5 stars
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The package I received it was perfectly fine, when I pulled it out of the bag it’s was ripped. It’s disheartening to know that if it was packed this way, no one thought to grab another one instead.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Steven G. Smith
    5.0 out of 5 stars TALKING GOFFMAN
    Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2012
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    A must have for the young sociologist to understand how our society works as a group and how that trickles down to affect the behavior of the individual in the group. If you are a thinking person with sociological questions, this is part of the Cannon of social science.
    One person found this helpful
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  • j. boone
    5.0 out of 5 stars Book in good shape
    Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2023
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Arrived when & how described. Thanks!
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  • Mrs. Thorley
    4.0 out of 5 stars Goffman's Asylums
    Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2014
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    This book can be challenging at times..You cant just read and put it down and expect to pick it back up again and know exactly what's going on. Goffman takes a very in depth look on the inmate situation focusing primarily on mental institutions. The personal stories of what these people go through and the things that Goffman witness while observing inmates really brings this book together. I think he focuses a lot on the development of the self when taken out of a familiar setting and placed into a new one. He talks about how to cope and what the staff does to help the inmates adapt to their new life. He can get wordy and redundant but all in all I think it is a rather good read. If you're in a social theory class or mental health student, I would recommend this book.
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read
    Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2016
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Enter the past and present of the darkest side of psychology. An aim to help and the negative side effects of an industry that thrives only on capitalism and ignoring those who need our help.
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  • val divers
    5.0 out of 5 stars A truely good read
    Reviewed in the United States on May 11, 2014
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Excellent condition , The concepts are as true today as when the book was first written,a must for any student studying the social sciences.
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  • Chrysta Sanchez
    5.0 out of 5 stars Need to write a paper? This is a gem!!!
    Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2018
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Great book for Sociology or Political Science read.
    Helpful
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  • Elaine Rosenfeld
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2016
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    great book and came in great condition
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  • Sue
    3.0 out of 5 stars A staple in sociology; but really not that great
    Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2014
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Goffman's book is read by sociologists and others - it is considered a classic study of psychiatric hospital patients.. Having said that, what he shows about the "social situation" of mental patients isn't very well developed. He did a sort of participant observation of hospitalized psychiatric patients. He developed ideas of the patients and their staff having a sort of community for themselves based on their interactions, roles and what is expressed in the relationships between and among each group. The relationships are more than just "patient and staff." There is negotiation between them, and cooperative actions which serve to subvert the system. On the other hand, Goffman contends that the patients become "institutionalized" in their behaviors and capabilities; they are dependent on being told when and what to eat, when to sleep, what to do during the day, etc. Supposedly, this over time limits their decision making capabilities. Oh! if only it were that simple. After years of studying psychiatric patients, I will tell you that these people are often very very ill, and need the structured environment to survive. Putting them out of the hospital into the community lends often to their homelessness or imprisonment. Sure, inpatient psychiatric care has needed improvement, but basically it exists to care for people who absolutely cannot care for themselves. Hoffman doesn't seem to know this important fact.
    4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Andrew
    5.0 out of 5 stars American asylum notes from the 1960's
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 25, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    A groundbreaking ethnography of the mental health system in America after WW2 as is also reflected elsewhere in the Western world. A textbook of how to shed light into the dark areas where some of our fellow humans live.
    Report
  • Shaunna Boyd
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent resource, a must have in my program for nursing
    Reviewed in Canada on March 25, 2020
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Excellent resource, a must have in my program for nursing
    Report
  • Michael Jorsh
    5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for the caring professions.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 18, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I have made this book required reading for my students. Although a little long in the tooth now, the concepts have not changed. The lessons are delivered intelligently and in a way that is easy to read and understand.
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  • M. Norman
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in Canada on March 20, 2018
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    A classic text in sociology.
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  • Modestus Roberts
    4.0 out of 5 stars A must read for Social Care workers
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 4, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Very good book for those that work in social care workers. Well written and highly recommended. Also good for students in higher institutions.
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