Goffman and presentation of self (Sociology) PDF

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Erving Goffman and the presentation of self in everyday life Have you ever reflected on the impression you make to other people in social or professional settings? Do you come across as someone who is friendly, confident, and empathetic? How conscious are you of this impression, and to what extent do you control it? Have you ever been in a situation where you made a bad first impression (we’ve all been there!). The work of Erving Goffman (1959) draws our attention to the socially constructed nature of the self and the central role that social interaction plays. According to Goffman, there is little that is natural about how we act and behave. Rather, the "self" is an ongoing type of performance subject to continuous regulation and management. Consider, for example, how conscious we become of the impression we seek to create during a job interview... or while on a date -as these are situations in which we are very much aware of how we are coming across to the other person(s). In his book The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life (1959), Goffman argues that we engage in ritualized ways of self-presenting in everyday social settings, ways that are learned through the socialization process. In sociological terms, however, these rituals are socially constructed; that is, they are not innate to who we are as human beings but rather the product of the influence of our social learning environment. Examples would be the norms surrounding greeting people and engaging in small talk, standing in line at passport control going through an airport, or any almost any interactional encounter one may have with a friend or stranger. Furthermore, consider how this works in a professional context. Whether you are a nurse, a social worker, or someone who works in business or marketing, it is important to come across as someone who is confident and competent in their ability to do their job. As such, part of any job is to manage and project a professional sense of self to others (be such others students, patients, clients or customers). Consider how an individual “performs” differently depending on whether they are going on a job interview, going on a date, or delivering a presentation. Each situation requires a different form of impression management, role performance, and what Goffman terms “front stage” behaviour. Goffman developed an approach and set of terminology by which to examine how we selfpresent in social settings. A key idea within the dramaturgical model is the concept of impression management – how we strive to manage the impressions and sense of self we project to others. Managing these impressions involves controlling (as much as possible) and the dramaturgical 1

elements of our performance (e.g., tone of voice, poise, facial and bodily gestures, projection of friendliness or confidence, and more). Goffman refers to these as the crucial elements of role performance. This managing can be both a conscious or unconscious effort but is, according to Goffman, a dynamic that shapes all human social interaction. In exploring the various elements involved in impression management, and drawing upon the metaphor of the theatre, Goffman uses the terminology of back stage and front stage. The “front stage” is what the audience (e.g., other people) see. It is the socially performed self – the one that reflects internalized norms and behavioural expectations of society as determined by the setting and the role one is playing. The back stage is our more relaxed and causal selves, the moments in which we let our guard done and are not consciously “performing” for others.

Erving Goffman and the performance of the self

Canadian born Goffman theorized that we “perform” the self through social interactions. Associated with the term dramaturgy, Goffman draws our attention to the theatrical aspects of social interaction – as we “act” the self. Goffman used the term “impression management” to describe how we strive to manage the impression we make on other people - through how we act and behave on the social “stage”. As Shakespeare put it…. “All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players”.

The video embedded below provides you with an illustration of what it means to think of the self as a type of performance, as conceptualized by Goffman.

Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Z0XS-QLDWM&feature=emb_title

The theatrical (dramaturgical) elements of Ted-Talks Goffman's dramaturgical approach is nicely (and hilariously) captured in the following presentation by Pat Kelly on the theatrical elements of Ted Talks. In the video, Kelly exposes the art of "impression management" central to the Ted Talk format and how, through a combination of the usage of technology, pacing, strategic placement of humour, gestures, and voice 2

modulation, presenters seek to convey their knowledge and expertise to the audience. As you watch the video, play attention to how Kelly reveals the underlying generic features and "structure" of the Ted Talk format, in order to reveal how Ted Talk speakers seek to convince an audience of their legitimacy and authority. You'll never be able to look at a Ted Talk the same way again! Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZBKX-6Gz6A&feature=emb_title

References: Goffman, E. (1959). The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. Doubleday Press.

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