Theories of Contextual Behavior in Erving Goffman’s The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life

1104 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The effects of technology in contemporary society journal

First written in 1956 by former Sociologist and President of the American Sociological Association, Erving Goffman’s The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life takes a micro-level approach in explaining changes in individual behavior as they relate to various situational contexts within social interaction. Goffman establishes and analyzes the processes by which we change our behavior in order to alter or manage the impressions we give off. In order to apply Goffman’s theories in a contemporary context, it’s important to first understand and recognize the main concepts outlined in his work. To begin, the performance can be defined as “all the activity of a given participant on a given occasion which serves to influence in any way any of the other participants” (Goffman 1956:8). A performance is central to every social interaction. It can be seen as the manner in which the participants interact, react, and make meaning of their encounter. The audience then, is the individual(s) observing your performance. They become highly influential in the manner with which the interaction ensues, as the performer will constantly alter his behavior in an attempt to gain or receive a desired response from the audience. Likewise, the setting of an interaction is central in determining the type of behavior displayed. For instance, behavior in a formal upper-class restaurant will undoubtedly differ from the behavior patrons will display while socializing at a local pub. Appearance “may be taken to refer to those stimuli which function at the time to tell us of the performer’s social statuses” (Goffman 1956:15). Thus, the appearance of an individual portrays their current social status or role within society. A person wearing a white lab coat may caus... ... middle of paper ... ...ide. Through careful preparation the actor is able to present only the most positive and most desirable aspects of their identity (or false identity). In the most extreme cases, these interactions can become dangerous when sexually abusive adults pose online as children in order to lure them into harmful or potentially life threatening situations. As society changes and technology advances, the methods and frequency of social interaction will undoubtedly change with it. Yet, no matter how drastic these changes, Goffman’s conceptualizations of presentation of self within social interaction will hold true. As long as the human race exists, and as long as social interaction occurs between people, Goffman’s ideas will remain ever present. The challenge lays in our interpretation these of concepts, and our effective, or ineffective, application of them to everyday life.

Show More
Related

  • Compare And Contrast Errving Goffman And Dubois

    1455 Words  | 3 Pages

    Dramaturgy is a view of social life as a series of dramatic performances akin to those taken place in a theatre (Ritzer, 144). Much of Goffman’s dramaturgy is concerned with the processes by which such disturbances are prevented and dealt with (Ritzer, page 144). In the Presentation of Self in Everyday Life, Goffman developed a new approach to the sociological study of human interaction, due to a mental health court scenario, of what he referred to as “dramaturgical” because of the analogy it had of the theatre to describe how an individual engages in social interaction with others in a performance (Staton et al, page 5). This performance was a way for actors to influence their audience in a given situation. In the addition of the mental health scenario, age, gender, and race relevant. The human relationships observed in the mental health court was analyzed was theorized so Goffman could explain characteristics of human interactions.

    Read More

  • Users, Losers and Scammers: How to Spot a Predator

    941 Words  | 2 Pages

    We have all watched television shows, we have heard the warnings, and have read numerous articles that expose internet predators and pedophiles. Most of us are aware of the dangers surrounding children and teenagers as they navigate the internet’s virtual world. There is no shortage of predators online. Chris Hanson has a very popular show called To Catch a Predator that has helped bring awareness to the public of this heinous crime against children, and while this is extremely important to know and prevent, there is another large segment of society that is at risk too. This paper will focus on this “other” population.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Tom Vanderbilt's 'Shut Up, I Can T Hear You'

    1111 Words  | 3 Pages

    Even if following the social norms means changing their values and behaviors, which make up their identities, they are likely to be influenced by their surroundings rather than their own judgments. Tom Vanderbilt is well aware of the power of public eyes over individuals. He examines that cars become safe havens where people can truly be themselves with freedom from the shackles of social expectations. He states that “because we feel that no one is watching, or that no one we know will see us, the inside of the car itself becomes a useful place for self-expression” (Vanderbilt 491), explaining the difference in people’s behaviors in public and private space. When unseen, people take actions that they would normally refrain from when they are around others – “nasal probing”, singing, or crying (491), for example. Anonymity is therefore beneficial to the development of identity in

    Read More

  • Goffman Self Analysis

    631 Words  | 2 Pages

    For Goffman, the self is a sense of who one is, this realization (of who the self is) has a dramatic undertone which arises from the immediate scene which is being presented by the actor. This scene could be the front stage or back stage. As it is on the stage in a theatrical performance, where actors portray their personal characteristics through their choice of clothing, verbal and non-verbal actions among other things to give a particular impression to the audience, the other that is apart from the self. This is called “impression management”. The self is a creation by the actor that is a composition of the front stage and the back stage, it may or may not be influenced by other external uncontrolled factors. The front stage being when the actions of the actor is visible to the audience and is part of the performance. The back stage is the behaviour when the actor believes that no audience is present. When performers are in the back region, they are nonetheless in another performance: that of a loyal team member. Team

    Read More

  • Interaction Ritual by Erving Goffman

    1354 Words  | 3 Pages

    Goffman, E. (1959). The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. New York: Doubleday Anchor Books.

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Mead And Erving Goffman

    218 Words  | 1 Pages

    Mead and Goffman, although alike in there understanding of the self, the main basis of the orgin of the self differs between them. Mead takes the stance that the self develops through education and social exposure, wheras Goffman took the view that in given situations we learn to act out socially prescribed roles, using the anology of the ‘theature’. The use of an anology enables further

    Read More

  • Goffman's Idea of Impression Management

    287 Words  | 1 Pages

    One of the key ideas to Goffman is his idea of impression management. Through interaction with others in society, an impression of ones self is given off to others. This is automatic and inevitable. The way one perceives you is through this social interaction. This means that through messages that are given off, whether intended or unintended, they are the judgments by which people will hold their opinion of you (Layder 1998:172-175).

    Read More

  • Dramaturgical Analysis

    1189 Words  | 3 Pages

    Goffman, Erving, The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life, Doubleday and Anchor Books, New York, 1959, pp. 34- 44

    Read More

  • Rorgy: Erving Goffman's Concept Of Dramaturgy

    858 Words  | 2 Pages

    In his work, Goffman explains that ‘the self’ is the result of the dramatic interaction between the actor and the audience he or she performs to. There are many aspects of how an individual performs his or her ‘self’. One of the aspects of performing the self that Goffman labels as the ‘front.’ The front involves managing the individual’s impression.

    Read More

  • Middle Sexes Analysis

    1381 Words  | 3 Pages

    On the topic of gender, he believes that we are constantly trying to give the best impression of our gender, and we form our gender on a daily basis. Goffman calls this “impression management.” He also believes that our identity is formed through our day-to-day interactions, so if someone was to question my gender (which has happened in the past), then I would, in turn, question my gender. Though I believe that at least some part of what Goffman is saying is true, authors Don Zimmerman and Candace West argue against his theory. In their collaborative work “Doing Gender,” the authors present the idea that others’ opinions of an individual’s gender, and which gender they see that individual as has nothing to do with one’s display of

    Read More

  • Social Interaction May Be Likened To A Theatre By Erving Goffman

    1033 Words  | 3 Pages

    Erving Goffman (1959) wrote that “social interaction may be likened to a theatre, and people in everyday life to actors on stage, each playing a variety of roles”. When you think of the way we behave and interact with each other, there really is not a more appropriate metaphor than comparing our behavior to that of actors portraying roles on stage. For example, there are a multitude of roles and statuses that could be used to describe me; among them being Mexican American, student, wife, daughter, sister, female, and middle child. However, while all these are true at any given time throughout the day, the role I portray changes with the situation and it should since different settings or situations have different audiences thus requiring a distinct performance to accommodate the current situation. An example of this phenomenon is described by the differentiation between front stage performance and back stage performance. To use myself as an example again let us consider my front stage performance as a

    Read More

  • Goffman's Theory Of Stigma And Social Interaction

    229 Words  | 1 Pages

    In this essay we will critically evaluate Erving Goffman’s work on stigma and social interaction. Before we start evaluating Goffman’s theories let us first understand what both the terms actually mean.

    Read More

  • The Three Major Theoretical Perspectives in Sociology

    1966 Words  | 4 Pages

    Goffman, E. 1959. The presentation of self in everyday life. Garden City, NY: Double Day

    Read More

  • Symbolic Interactionism And Dramaturgy, By George Herbert Mead And Erving Goffman

    1691 Words  | 4 Pages

    Erving Goffman uses a dramaturgical perspective in his discussion of impression management. Goffman’s analysis of the social world primarily centres around studies of the self and relationship to one’s identity created within a society. Through dramaturgy, Goffman uses the metaphor of performance theatre to convey the nature of human social interaction, drawing from the renowned quote “All the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players” from Shakespeare’s ‘As You Like It.’ Much of our exploration of Goffman’s theories lies within the premise that individuals engage in impression management, and achieve a successful or unsuccessful performance. Impression management refers to the ways in which individuals attempt to control the impression that others have of them stemming from a basic human desire to be viewed by others in a favourable light. Goffman argues that our impressions are managed through a dramaturgical process whereby social life is played out like actors performing on a stage and our actions are dictated by the roles that we are playing in particular situations. In a social situation, the stage is where the encounter takes place, the actors are the people involved in the interaction, and the script is the set of social norms in which the actors must abide by. Just as plays have a front stage and back stage, this also applies in day-to-day interactions. Goffman’s theory of the front and back stage builds on Mead’s argument of the phases of the self. The front stage consists of all the public and social encounters with other people. It is similar to the ‘me’ which Mead talks about, as it involves public encounters as well as how others perceive you. Meanwhile the back stage, like the ‘I’, is the time spent with oneself reflecting on the interactions. Therefore, according to Goffman’s dramaturgical

    Read More

  • The Social Problem: Gender Inequality

    980 Words  | 2 Pages

    (“The Interactionist Perspective.”) In regards to gender, characteristics of masculinity and femininity are a part of daily interactions. Symbolic interactionists believe gender identities are performed rather than assigned. According to the sociologist Erving Goffman, people will “attempt to control the perception of one’s own image. In society, men and women are expected to act in a way that represents their gender. In the event that a man is not perceived as masculine or a woman is not perceived as feminine, their social standings will reflect this perception. (“The Interactionist

    Read More

More about Theories of Contextual Behavior in Erving Goffman’s The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life

Open Document