Erving Goffman and His Dramaturgical Sociology.
Erving Goffman and his Dramaturgical Sociology.
Erving Goffman's The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life, published in 1959[1], provides a detailed description and analysis of process and meaning in mundane interaction. Goffman, as a product of theChicago School, writes from a symbolic interactionist perspective, emphasizing a qualitative analysis of the component parts of the interactive process. Through a microsociological analysis and focus on unconventional subject matter, Goffman explores the details of individual identity, group relations, the impact of environment, and the movement and interactive meaning of information. His perspective, though limited in scope, provides new insight into the nature of social interaction and the psychology of the individual.
Goffman employs a "dramaturgical approach" in his study, concerning himself with the mode of presentation employed by the actor and its meaning in the broader social context: "The perspective employed in this report in that of the theatrical performance, the principles derived are dramaturgical ones." (Goffman 1990, 13) Interaction is viewed as a "performance", shaped by environment and audience, constructed to provide others with "impressions" that are consonant with the desired goals of the actor. The performance exists regardless of the mental state of the individual, as persona is often imputed to the individual in spite of his or her lack of faith in - or even ignorance of - the performance. Goffman uses the example of the doctor who is forced to give a placebo to a patient, fully aware of its impotence, as a result of the desire of the patient for more extensive treatment. In this way, the individual develops identity or persona as a function of interaction with others, through an exchange of information that allows for more specific definitions of identity and behaviour.
The process of establishing social identity, then, becomes closely allied to the concept of the "front", which is described
Erving Goffman's The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life, published in 1959[1], provides a detailed description and analysis of process and meaning in mundane interaction. Goffman, as a product of theChicago School, writes from a symbolic interactionist perspective, emphasizing a qualitative analysis of the component parts of the interactive process. Through a microsociological analysis and focus on unconventional subject matter, Goffman explores the details of individual identity, group relations, the impact of environment, and the movement and interactive meaning of information. His perspective, though limited in scope, provides new insight into the nature of social interaction and the psychology of the individual.
Goffman employs a "dramaturgical approach" in his study, concerning himself with the mode of presentation employed by the actor and its meaning in the broader social context: "The perspective employed in this report in that of the theatrical performance, the principles derived are dramaturgical ones." (Goffman 1990, 13) Interaction is viewed as a "performance", shaped by environment and audience, constructed to provide others with "impressions" that are consonant with the desired goals of the actor. The performance exists regardless of the mental state of the individual, as persona is often imputed to the individual in spite of his or her lack of faith in - or even ignorance of - the performance. Goffman uses the example of the doctor who is forced to give a placebo to a patient, fully aware of its impotence, as a result of the desire of the patient for more extensive treatment. In this way, the individual develops identity or persona as a function of interaction with others, through an exchange of information that allows for more specific definitions of identity and behaviour.
The process of establishing social identity, then, becomes closely allied to the concept of the "front", which is described