Which of the following would Erving Goffman consider to be a total institution?A.an exclusive residential community with gates and security guardsB.a baseball camp for childrenC.a mental hospitalD.a community college

To determine which of the options Erving Goffman would consider a total institution, let's first understand what a total institution is according to Goffman.

Definition of Total Institution

Erving Goffman, a sociologist, defined a total institution as a place of residence and work where a large number of individuals, cut off from the wider community for a considerable time, together lead an enclosed, formally administered life. Examples include prisons, military boot camps, mental hospitals, and monasteries.

Analyzing Each Option

1. An exclusive residential community with gates and security guards

   • This is a residential area where people live, but they are not cut off from the wider community. They can come and go as they please, and their lives are not formally administered in the same way as in a total institution.

2. A baseball camp for children

   • This is a temporary setting where children go to learn and play baseball. It is not a place where they live for a considerable time, nor is it an enclosed, formally administered life. It is more of a recreational and educational setting.

3. A mental hospital

   • This fits Goffman's definition of a total institution. Patients in a mental hospital are often cut off from the wider community, live there for a considerable time, and their lives are formally administered by the institution.

4. A community college

   • A community college is an educational institution where students attend classes but do not live there. They are not cut off from the wider community and do not lead an enclosed, formally administered life.

Conclusion

Based on Goffman's definition, the option that best fits the description of a total institution is:

C. a mental hospital