Total institutions, a term popularised by sociologist Erving Goffman, refer to facilities such as asylums for the mentally ill, prisons, monasteries, military barracks, and boarding schools that exert a pervasive and encompassing influence on the lives of their residents by imposing a forcibly regulated system of existence in complete or near-complete isolation from the outside world. These institutions are characterised by a breakdown of the barriers separating the three spheres of life that are usually distinct: sleep, work, and play; all aspects of life are conducted in the same place and under the same single authority. Residents typically experience a loss of autonomy and personal identity as their daily routines are strictly controlled, and they are subjected to a uniform system of rules and regulations aimed at managing large groups of people within the confines of the institution. Goffman's analysis of total institutions highlighted the processes of resocialisation and the potential for the stripping away of former identities and the adoption of an institutional identity among residents.