This term was coined in 1961 by Erving Goffman and was designed to describe a society which is generally cut off from the rest of society but yet still provides for all the needs of its members. Therefore, total institutions have the ability to resocialize people either voluntarily or involuntarily. Each phase of a members daily activity is carried out in the immediate company of others. All members are treated a like and all members do the same thing together. Daily activities are tightly scheduled.
All activity is superimposed upon the individual by a system of explicit formal rules.
A single rational plan exists to fulfill the goals of the institution. The family is the most important of the agents of socialization . Family is responsible for, among other things, determining one's attitudes toward religion and establishing career goals . The school is the agency responsible for socializing groups of young people in particular skills and values in our society. A Brief Introduction .