Resocialization in Indian residential schools as total institutions

Resocialization and Total Institutions

Resocialization Total Institutions

Recycling: Resocialization and Total Institutions

Resocialization and Total Institutions

Resocialization is a process in which the identity and personality of the individual is radically changed by placing that individual in an environment or institution, which is controlled and monitored strictly. Total institutions are such institutions that utilize resocialization process in order to bring significant changes in the personality of individuals living there. The goal of these institutions is to eradicate personal identity of the individual and then, create a new identity through reward and punishment system.

Resocialization and Total Institutions

Introduction

Resocialization is a process in which the identity and personality of the individual is radically changed by placing that individual in an environment or institution, which is controlled and monitored strictly. Total institutions are such institutions that utilize resocialization process in order to bring significant changes in the personality of individuals living there. The goal of these institutions is to eradicate personal identity of the individual and then, create a new identity through reward and punishment system. This research paper has selected the topic of resocialization and for this purpose; two journal articles have been collected, regarding Indian Residential Schools as total institutions and their impact on Native Indian Children. The paper would present summaries of each journal article. Next, comparisons would be made between the journal articles in order to understand the topic of resocialization and were residential schools total institutions. What was their impact on native Indian children? Finally, how does total institution and process of resocialization can benefit student nurses in their personal and professional life would be discussed in the lights of broad and diverse academic resources.

Summary of Resources

Sociology 7th Canadian Edition by John J. Macionis and Linda. M. Gerber (2011)

Project Turnaround

Project Turnaround was a project that was boot camp. Staff members belonged to military and are expected to show respect to cadets. In the same manner, cadets are required to call their in charge either maim or sir. They are also required to perform pushups. However, it should be noted that the cadets are not physically abused or punished. They received their military training and are expected to make their beds as well as they have to tie up their shoe laces in a standardized format. They get up at 6 am and sleep at 10 pm. They are given the freedom to play video games and select their own food. Furthermore, they are involved in marching and physical activities such as playing basketball and volleyball. They also have to attend school with their homework. They also build cedar canoes and are taken outdoors by staff members (Macionis & Gerber, 2011). The goal of this program is to ensure that these members are disciplined and respect themselves so that they do not return to the life of crime. However, this project was cancelled in the year 2003.

Dealing with the Legacy of Native Residential School Abuse in Canada: Litigation, ADR and Restorative Justice by Jennifer J. Llewellyn

According to Llewellyn (2002), residential schools were developed to provide education to Indian children and were established during the 1800s. These schools were run by members of Churches, by Protestants as well as Roman Catholics. The goal of these schools was to ensure that the children of the Native Americans are assimilated within the Canadian society with non-native Canadians. For this purpose, the British government established residential schools in order to avoid conflict with the Natives and to produce a class of Indian children, who would speak English and to follow the British way of life and thus, would end the Indian Problem.

Abuse in Residential Schools

Residential Schools were total institutions, which concentrated on changing the identity of Native Indians children in order to assimilate them into the British culture. Abuse was used to ensure that these children are changed in every way (Llewellyn, 2002). Sexual, verbal, emotional and spiritual abuse, were the four types of abuses, which the children had to endure. Furthermore, if children spoke their native language, they would receive harsh corporal punishment. Even though these schools provided education to children and some of the children, had a positive experience, yet these schools had completely changed the culture, identity and spirituality of these children and thus, in a way, these children had experienced abuse (Llewellyn, 2002).

Scapegoating the Indian Residential Schools by Ottawa Cover Story

Apologies had been made by the Chretain government because of the mistreatment of Native Indians in Residential Schools at the hands of Christian missionaries. This mistreatment had been labeled as brutal and inhumane, as Indians were abused physically, sexually and emotionally for being Indians and having different culture, traditions, religion and language. Residential schools had been designed and had made a negative impact on children on Native Indians and their future generations, as the school system concentrated on "campaign to obliterate Aboriginal languages, traditions, and beliefs was compounded by mismanagement and the woeful mistreatment, neglect, and abuse of many children... The memory has persisted, festered and become a sorrowful monument, still casting a deep shadow over the lives of many Aboriginal people and over the possibility of a new relationship between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Canadians" (Donnelly, 2013).

Legacy of Residential Schools

The legacy of the Residential or Indian schools had been positive according to the article. The evidence that these schools were engaged in sexually abusing children is vague and ambiguous. Some of the Indians had positive memories regarding the girl and liked it, as it had plenty of food for everyone to eat and daily, they were provided with bread, stew, peanut butter and porridge. Even though residential schools did not allow to talk in native languages, children were not punished for speaking their native languages (Donnelly, 2013). Daily routine for boys included looking after the garden, chopping woods and looking after the cows, whereas for girls, they learnt the art of sewing. According to Rufus Goodstriker, who attended St. Paul's residential school, daily routine comprised of reading, writing and learning farm chores. Communicating in native language was also not an issue (Donnelly, 2013). Children were also allowed to meet their parents on weekends. Furthermore, these schools also had sports program, where students would play soccer and softball, as well as hockey. Another anonymous person asserted that staffs were supportive and provided support to students who were lonely. The coordinator of National Catholic Working Group on Native Residential Schools asserted that Indians themselves acknowledged the significance of Schools and therefore, Residential schools were provided to education to native people. After the Second World War, a movement was started in order to close residential schools.

Comparison of Articles

Sociology vs. dealing with the Legacy of Native Residential School Abuse in Canada: Litigation, ADR and Restorative Justice

Macionis and Gerber (2011) assert that resocialization is the process in which personal identity of individuals are radically changed in order to change the personality and perception of the individual by using manipulative techniques in a controlled environment. The goal of total institutions is to completely change the identity of the individual and to integrate them within the society. According to Llewellyn (2002), residential schools were developed to provide education to Indian children and were established during the 1800s as total institutions. She asserts that the goal of the Residential Schools was to bring a new class of Indian children, who would speak English and would follow the British way of life and thus would assimilate within the British culture. This strategy had been adopted in order to resolve the Indian problem.

As total institutions, residential schools incorporated harsh punishments on these children. These children were abused physically, spiritually, emotionally and sexually. Furthermore, they received harsh corporal punishments for speaking their native languages. The staffs of the residential schools were responsible for civilizing these children in the British way and therefore, in the process, they adopted total institution policies, which completely destroyed their personal identity and cultural outlook. In the long run, they made negative impact on these children and thus, litigation charges against these schools were a way of denouncing the abuse these children had experienced. Macionis and Gerber (2011) also assert that the impact of social institutions can be negative and positive. It can be positive if the individual cooperates with the staff. However, on the dark side, it can make the individual more aggressive and hostile. The same thing was witnessed by the children in residential schools and therefore, after several decades, they raised their voices against the abuse they had endured, which had completely destroyed their personal identity.

Sociology vsScapegoating the Indian Residential Schools by Patrick Donnelly

The picture of residential schools by Patrick Donnelly (2013) is a positive picture. His approach concentrated on taking accounts of individuals, who had a positive experience on residential schools. The daily routine comprised of providing food to children, which was in abundance. Furthermore, Indian children spoke their languages but were never punished for speaking in these institutions. Even though residential schools did not allow to talk in native languages, children were not punished for speaking their native languages. Daily routine for boys included looking after the garden, chopping woods and looking after the cows, whereas for girls, they learnt the art of sewing. Furthermore, these schools also had sports program, where students would play soccer and softball, as well as hockey. According to Macionis and Gerber (2011), Project Turnaround was a project that was boot camp. Staff members belonged to military and are expected to show respect to cadets and were not physically abused or punished. They received their military training and are expected to make their beds as well as they have to tie up their shoe laces in a standardized format. They are involved in marching and physical activities such as playing basketball and volleyball.

Impact on Nurses: Personal and Professional Life

The concept of resocialization and total institutions can help nurses to understand that patients must be treated with respect in mental asylums or other organizations, where they to look after the patients. Furthermore, violence should never be practiced as it is unethical. The goal of resocialization and total institution is to ensure that nurses can make a positive influence on patients by slowly and gradually. They must discipline the patients and construct their identity through rewards and punishment systems, which would not have a negative impact on their growth and development.

Conclusion

Resocialization is a term used, which concentrates on changing and modifying the personality of the individual in a restricted environment, which is controlled and monitored by another person. The process of resocialization is used in military, prisons and mental institutions in order to ensure that they are disciplined and are changed, in terms of personality, in order to ensure that their previous beliefs, traditions and outlooks are completely changed.