Notes on Erving Goffman

Sociological Theory
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
UMD

ERVING GOFFMAN

"ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE AND ALL THE MEN [AND WOMEN] MERELY PLAYERS. THEY HAVE THEIR EXITS AND THEIR ENTRANCES; AND ONE MAN [AND WOMEN] IN HIS [HER] TIME PLAYS MANY PARTS."

AREA OF STUDY IS FACE TO FACE INTERACTION -- THE SITUATION

HOW WE PRESENT OURSELVES IN SITUATIONS -- THROUGH ALREADY EXISTING MECHANISMS

I.E. WORDS, MANNERISMS ETC.

SELF IS ONLY UNDERSTANDABLE THROUGH ROLES WE TAKE (OUR SOCIAL SELF) BUT ROLE DOES NOT ONLY ALLOW EXPRESSION OF SELF BUT ACTUALLY CONSTRAINS SELF.

WHAT IS SELF?

THE PRESENTATION OF SELF IN A SITUATION IS HIGHLY PROBLEMATIC -- THERE ARE A LOT OF ALTERNATIVES (SELVES) TO CHOOSE FROM
THE IMPRESSIONS WE MAKE ON OTHERS MUST BE HIGHLY GUARDED SO AS NOT TO DESTROY THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SOCIAL ORDER
WE DON'T CONSTANTLY CONSTRUCT THE SOLID SOCIAL ORDER, WE WORK WITHIN THE FRAGILE CONFINES OF THE EXISTING ORDER
NOT AS MUCH CONCERNED WITH SOCIAL INTERACTION OR ACT AS MUCH AS SELF AS SOCIAL PROCESS;

HOW WE PRESENT SELVES,

MASK SELF,
MANAGE OUR PRESENTATIONS
ALL LIFE IS A STAGE --
DRAMATURGICAL PERSPECTIVE

ROLE THEORY LOOKS AT CONSTRAINTS

GOFFMAN LOOKS AT HOW PEOPLE BEHAVE AND PRESENT THEMSELVES WITHIN THOSE CONSTRAINTS

CONCEPTS FOR UNDERSTANDING PRESENTATION OF SELF

PERFORMANCES

WHAT I AS ACTOR (PERFORMER) DO IN THE SITUATION (THE ACT);
WHAT I DO IS PART OF PRESENTATION

FRONT
- EXPRESSIVE RESOURCES USED DURING A PERFORMANCE
1. MANNER -- AGGRESSIVE OR MEEK, ETC.
DRAMATIC REALIZATION
PRESS THE POINT; THE PERFORMANCE
FRONT REGION AND BACK REGION
IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT
HUMAN INTERACTION IS FRAGILE THEREFORE THERE IS OFTEN DISRUPTIVE PERFORMANCE; WE MUST BE ABLE TO CARRY OUT ROLES REGARDLESS OF DISRUPTION

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Copyright: © 2001, John Hamlin
Last Modified: Monday, 23-Apr-2007 06:27:00 CDT
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