Goffman: Presentation of Self in
Everyday Life
Part 1: Concepts
1.
Impression
Management
Erving
Goffman prepared the key ideas behind the discussion on the values wherein the
ideas in theorizing the social roles and relations that are present in the
contemporary society. According to the book of Goffman, a person can
demonstrate a role that can be also varied depending on their audience or the
people around them. Those individuals as actors have an intention in
manipulating the role that they play in aim to provide the others’ impressions
pertaining to them. Usually, this occurs through the interaction of the
individuals in their everyday life (Barnhart, 1994). Since the society presents
the interactions that usually matters with the human social relations or group
of life, there is a natural involvement of disciplines that goes right with the
study of sociology including the economics, political science, and psychology
because they all fall within the topic of human society.
2.
Front
stage and Back stage
Goffman’s
dramaturgical model is seen and plays a valuable function in understanding the
relationship within contemporary society. It is often referred as a concept
that has mirrored the aspect of sociology (Giddens, 2009). Goffman’s
elaboration on the ‘front stage’, ‘back stage’ and ‘performance’ addresses the
functions in the society and is in part in the idea of social interactions and
form a culture. Through this function, the society can understand the certain
level of understanding that shapes the social interactions with others. Through
Goffman’s work, the theories and relationships is discussed to recognize the
power that shapes the social relations. In addition, the methodological choice
of Goffman is filled with criticism and doubts regarding the validity of a
research method. It is described that the research method Goffman established
overemphasized the metaphors and paid a little scientific investigations in the
social behavior. The use of metaphors as a form of analysis and describing the
phenomenon in the society is an outline of the dramaturgical model, although
being question in the validity of his theory, is still valued in the entire
society.
3.
Performance
Team
Goffman,
presented the theory that tells us about the capacity of an individual to
engage in manipulating their role in the society in several aspects. According
to Goffman and his ideas towards the theatre regarding how the “individuals
are, in essence, dramatic actors on a stage playing parts dictated by culture”
and this explains on how the presentation can be accepted because of the
emphasis on manipulation. Through the use of talents and the experience of
those actors, they can be successful which in return; their role can be
established for their audiences. Goffman emphasized the idea about the key on
this successful performance which drives from their ability to control various
information that audience has accessed to (Goffman, 1959).
4.
Barriers
to Perception
In
the shade of interdisciplinary fields, the oldest and most important would be the
social psychology in which Goffman justified through explaining the things
around and at present through the simple interaction. Actually, it is
considered that the social interaction of the individuals is a separate
discipline for the practitioners on the fields of sociology and
psychology. In the role of sociologists,
they are primarily concerned on the social norms, and the structure of groups,
while on the other hand, the social psychologists focuses on the roles and
social norms or the elements found in sociologists and recognize the impacts of
the individual personality (Barnhart, 1994). Many experts in sociology have
studied the interaction that emerged smaller groups; such as their beliefs and
understanding the attitudes within the population; and the shaping of
personality through the experience of socialization, or the formulation of
character and outlook under the influence or interaction with the family,
education, friends, and others like the involvement on other social activities.
The work of Sigmund Freud and his contemporaries in the field of psychoanalysis
created significant contribution in the field of psychology. This might be also
played a significant part in the study of Goffman in presenting one-self.
Part 2: Applications
(1) What are the implications of
impression management and identity management for both professional and
personal settings?
Unlike
the sociological theories wherein the individuals are linked with the
disciplines early states, Goffman’s dramaturgical model outlines the existence
of the human’s perspective on the stages where as an actor he usually plays.
Giddens (2009) explains that there are situations within which an individual
can act formal roles that is essential to present themselves. The performances,
like the theatre sometime needs teamwork just to be successful. Managing the
impression is an important concern of the actor or individual to deliver the
kind of impressions about him. According to Goffman, he suggested that “when an
individual appears before others, he will have many motives for trying to
control the situation”. However, at the back of the stage or the contrast of
what an individual shows, he is preparing for the role he is going to play.
With regards to the theatre roles (profession), the individuals involved
usually discuss and rehearse their performances before the presentation. To
emphasize their roles, there are props which can be used and design
appropriately for the actor and establish their role within a performance. The
function of those props in general, is to assist the role of the actors and
convince the audiences that the actors’ performances are true.
(2) What are some of the privacy and
ethical concerns?
Actually,
Goffman focuses on how the men are interacting with the society and his
environment which mainly involves the changes in the objectives. In today, the
development in the society came to the point where in the discussion leads to
“human security” which became the certain aim and role of the networking sites,
nowadays in order to develop the multidimensional activities. Through the
development of the multi-dimensional activities in peace, the development in
the social environment is aided. Furthermore, the changes in the international
setting which affects the local and global norms of society are also enhanced.
Therefore, a new generation of society is formed which is more focused on the
issues of ethical considerations, security methods, conflict resolution and
transformation of information (Mujtaba, et al., 2004).
(3) What are some of the other
related social issues brought about by social media (for example,
cyberbullying)?
Within
the theories of sociology, there is a partial reversal of the previous
direction of influence has occurred, with theoretical currents once again and
the different ideas of sociologists. Aside from the changes in the society,
particularly the introduction of social media, there are issues related to the
theoretical diversification which introduced other concepts or subfields in the
sociology such as the role of genders and its inequalities, relationships,
interactions, aging, and so on (Mujtaba, et al., 2004).
(4) How applicable are Goffman’s
concepts in today’s networked society?
Goffman’s
works impressively left a great contribution in sociology and explaining the
interaction of individuals as much as giving the light emphasize on how an
individual represents in the crowd. Therefore, his part in sociological field
of work is utilized to use as basis in developing the society in a most
attractive way. The study of Goffman in explaining the behavior and attitudes
of an individual and their significance in the entire society resulted in the
dramaturgical model which interpreted on how an individual acted on his
“audience” or other people. Despite of the representations that this model
created in explaining those various attitudes and its connection with the
changes and developments in the society, still, it creates a good structure on
how an individual can act in front of others and gives the social networking
sites to connect them.
References:
Barnhart, A., (1994) Erving Goffman: The
Presentation of Self in Everyday Life [Online] Available at: <http://www.cfmc.com/adamb/writings/goffman.htm>
[Accessed 04 Aug 2011].
Giddens, A., (2009) Sociology (Sixth Edition). Cambridge: Polity.
Goffman, E., (1959) 'Performances' in The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life, New
York: Double Day Anchor Books, pp. 22-30.
Mujtaba, B., Griffin, C., & Oskal, C.,
(2004) Emerging Ethical Issues in Technology and Countermeasures for Management
and Leadership Consideration in the Twenty First Century’s Competitive
Environment of Global Interdependence, Journal
of Applied Management and Entrepreneurship, 9(3): 34
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