Erving Goffman The Presentation Of Self In Everyday Life Analysis

Erving Goffman (11 June 1922 – 19 November 1982) is a Canadian-born sociologist and writer. He where considered one of the most influential American sociologists of the twentieth century. Goffman’s first major work was The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life.

In Goffman’s study of the symbolic interaction, in his book “the presentation of the self in everyday life” he did a dramaturgical analysis. Where he uses the imagery of theater to point out the importance of human action and social interaction. He compares human interaction to theatrical performances, where the person in the everyday life is like an actor on a stage. Where the audience is watching the actor role-play.

Goffman uses the word “performance” to describe every interaction

an individual has with an audience or an observer. An individual will try to control how the other persons sees or view them by changing their manners appearance etc. Where they establish themselves to others and their situation. Some individuals/ “actors” are not aware that they are putting up a performance but nonetheless information, is being exchanged and an impression is given.
He in his dramaturgical analysis he categorizes these interactions into three stages like in a theatrical play.
The front-stage where the “actor” establish what they want they want the audience to think about them. The actors know what is expected of them and act accordingly.
Backstage is completely separated from the front stage and its where they performers are completely separated from the audience, actor/ actress can be himself or herself and do not need to put up the act anymore and drop the social roles and identities
Off-stage: also known as outside, the individual are not involved in the performance but the individual actors may meet the audience independent from the team performance, front stage.
Our society is dominated by social media sites such as Facebook Instagram and twitter, moreover they are heavily incorporated into our daily lives. The way we act online differs greatly from how we act offline. Which can be compared to the three steps of Goffman’s dramaturgical analysis. Where our online personas are like the actors front stage where we create a very specific image of ourselves while our offline personas is like the off stage of backstage where we act ourselves and doesn’t worry about how we may appear to other people.