Analyzing Social Ties in Total Institutions

David Wästerfors

doi:10.18778/1733-8077.8.2.02

Authors

David Wästerfors University of Lund, Sweden

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18778/1733-8077.8.2.02

Keywords:

Isolation, Intimacy, Social Ties, Residential Youth Care, Total Institutions

Abstract

A common view is that an individual delinquent can be rehabilitated in a “home” in the countryside, away from his or her original urban social ties. An ironic result is new social ties with other juvenile delinquents as they spend a considerable amount of time together at a secluded institution. Drawing on ethnographic studies in residential care institutions, this article discusses two aspects to consider when analyzing social ties in such settings: the institutional prerequisites for and the everyday achievement of isolation and intimacy.

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Author Biography

David Wästerfors, University of Lund, Sweden

David Wästerfors is an Associate Professor and Associate Senior Lecturer in the Department of Sociology at Lund University. His interests include criminology, social psychology, ethnography and interactionism.

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