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Thesis about the self concept in interpersonal communication
Self - concept in communication
Societal influences on individual identity
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What is Identity Management? In sociological terms it is communication strategy which is goal-oriented. It operates on both the conscious and subconscious level; communicators attempt to control the impressions of other people about themselves. This is achieved by governing and effecting various impressions designed to control social interactions. It is the outward facing or presenting self, in which one manipulates their perceived image for others to discern. The concept of identity management can also effect other arenas such as professional communication in the work place and school. Similarly its effects can be perceived in the larger stage of public relations for important persons and celebrities. Identity management theory was …show more content…
It is understood that the identity management theory mentions Goffman 's contributions to social interaction numerous time since he has been the foremost cited sociologist from his research and communication studies. In understanding identity management is important to explore the concepts of the “Perceived Self” (Adler, Proctor II) and the “Presenting Self” (Adler, Proctor II). Among the myriad identities which one possesses through life, one must not overlook cultural and relational identities, as these are of primary importance in identity management as well. The presenting self is the face on shows to the outside world; one may have many facets to their identity. Whereas the perceived self is rather much of a constant, yes it is mutable over time with experience, but it basically remains in a static state for long periods of time. If the communicator is capable of maintaining the facets of the outwardly presenting self is strongly tied to his or her interpersonal …show more content…
It is therefore important that his many contributions be acknowledged in any research regarding identity management. Six essays comprise Goffman 's book, with the first essay exploring a communicator’s presenting-self while engaged in communications with other individuals. He expounded that the presenting-self image that is portrayed during interactions is not set in stone and yet has great social identification impact. The identity the communicator acquires in a social environment is then expected to bear fruit in the future. “Society is organized on the principle that any individual who possesses certain social characteristics has a moral right to expect that others will value and treat him in an appropriate way.” (Goffman) There are complications in modifying the presenting-self in a social context, as this may change the perception of how one feels about themselves as a person. What Goffman was trying to imply was that sometimes it is wisest to refrain from too much self-disclosure in a social context as others may view this in a disagreeable
In his 1971 paper “Personal Identity”, Derek Parfit posits that it is possible and indeed desirable to free important questions from presuppositions about personal identity without losing all that matters. In working out how to do so, Parfit comes to the conclusion that “the question about identity has no importance” (Parfit, 1971, p. 4.2:3). In this essay, I will attempt to show that Parfit’s thesis is a valid one, with positive implications for human behaviour. The first section of the essay will examine the thesis in further detail and the second will assess how Parfit’s claims fare in the face of criticism.
Goffman, E. (1959). The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. New York: Doubleday Anchor Books.
One of the key ideas to Goffman is his idea of impression management. Through interaction with others in society, an impression of ones self is given off to others. This is automatic and inevitable. The way one perceives you is through this social interaction. This means that through messages that are given off, whether intended or unintended, they are the judgments by which people will hold their opinion of you (Layder 1998:172-175).
—. Sources of the Self: The Making of the Modern Identity. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1989.
Adopted into sociology by Erving Goffman, he developed most terms and the idea behind dramaturgical analysis in his 1959 book The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. This book lays out the process of human social interaction, sometimes called "impression management". Goffman makes the distinction between "front stage" and "back stage" behavior. “Front stage" actions are visible to the audience and are part of the performance. We change our hair color, eye color, complextion. Wearing make-up, the way our hair is styled, the clothes we wear. The demeanor we present to the world to the. All of these things lead to an outward appearance of what we want others to think we are. People engage in "back stage" behaviors when no audience is present. We whine and moan about the customers we deal with. Hair goes un-styled, make is wiped off. Clothing is comfortable and unrestricting. When a person conducts themselves in certain way not consistent with social expectations, it is often done secretly if this ...
Social identity theory can be applied to many different problems and real life situations. It demonstrates the role of categorization in behaviors, and explores how being part of a group affects social interaction in everyday life.
In his work, Goffman explains that ‘the self’ is the result of the dramatic interaction between the actor and the audience he or she performs to. There are many aspects of how an individual performs his or her ‘self’. One of the aspects of performing the self that Goffman labels as the ‘front.’ The front involves managing the individual’s impression.
Many philosophers and psychologist from Jean Piaget to William James have theorized what makes a person who they are, their identity. Jean Piaget believed that the identity is formed in the sensorimotor stage and the preoperational stage. This means that a child is forming his identity as late to the age of seven (Schellenberg, 29) However, identity is strongly impacted by society such as school, church, government,and other institutions. Through our interactions with different situations our personality develops (Schellenberg 34). "In most situations there is a more diversified opportunity for the development of social identities, reflecting what the individual wants to put forth to define the self as well as what others want to accept,"(Schellenberg 35). Therefore, humans, much like animals, adapt to different situations based on who they are with. Individuals are always changi...
Identity is the condition of being oneself regardless of variation in an individual’s surroundings that provides sameness in their distinctive qualities over time. No two individuals are the same, therefore, no two identities are the same. Every aspect of their past, present, and future molds their being into something never seen before. Each identity is extremely intricate and ever changing so truly understanding another’s identity is an astonishingly difficult task. Identity can be described in all of these ways, but language - the system of communication, diction, and connotation of the form in which an individual speaks - is the backbone of identity. Conforming language to the words someone hears around them instead of truly allowing their
On the topic of gender, he believes that we are constantly trying to give the best impression of our gender, and we form our gender on a daily basis. Goffman calls this “impression management.” He also believes that our identity is formed through our day-to-day interactions, so if someone was to question my gender (which has happened in the past), then I would, in turn, question my gender. Though I believe that at least some part of what Goffman is saying is true, authors Don Zimmerman and Candace West argue against his theory. In their collaborative work “Doing Gender,” the authors present the idea that others’ opinions of an individual’s gender, and which gender they see that individual as has nothing to do with one’s display of
Erving Goffman uses a dramaturgical perspective in his discussion of impression management. Goffman’s analysis of the social world primarily centres around studies of the self and relationship to one’s identity created within a society. Through dramaturgy, Goffman uses the metaphor of performance theatre to convey the nature of human social interaction, drawing from the renowned quote “All the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players” from Shakespeare’s ‘As You Like It.’ Much of our exploration of Goffman’s theories lies within the premise that individuals engage in impression management, and achieve a successful or unsuccessful performance. Impression management refers to the ways in which individuals attempt to control the impression that others have of them stemming from a basic human desire to be viewed by others in a favourable light. Goffman argues that our impressions are managed through a dramaturgical process whereby social life is played out like actors performing on a stage and our actions are dictated by the roles that we are playing in particular situations. In a social situation, the stage is where the encounter takes place, the actors are the people involved in the interaction, and the script is the set of social norms in which the actors must abide by. Just as plays have a front stage and back stage, this also applies in day-to-day interactions. Goffman’s theory of the front and back stage builds on Mead’s argument of the phases of the self. The front stage consists of all the public and social encounters with other people. It is similar to the ‘me’ which Mead talks about, as it involves public encounters as well as how others perceive you. Meanwhile the back stage, like the ‘I’, is the time spent with oneself reflecting on the interactions. Therefore, according to Goffman’s dramaturgical
As Singh points out, “The facility of modern technology to amalgamate the colossal variety of elements from different times and places has led to the involute cultural identities...New media is engulfing the culture at a very fast rate. It has left human relationships behind. Media today has taken the role of parents, relations, and friends.”(Singh 87-88). This supersession of relationships can cause a myriad of quandaries when withal developing one’s identity, and cause one to lose the “self” among the identity portrayed in convivial media. The result in a cultural shift of what one’s “identity” means, constructing, as Gilpin suggests, not only the identity of individuals but the identity of cultural groups such as public relations
Humanity is defined by one major factor: one’s understating of the self. By understanding one’s self, one can understand society and the world that surrounds themselves. There is one thing that can often distort one’s personality, one’s identity. By identifying as one thing a person can often change how they act or do certain things. This is often found to hide one’s true motives or intention, but it can also be used to hide hidden factors that aren’t as prevalent. One’s personality and identity are very closely linked, and tend to play off one another. This fact can be show in within multiple works. To name a few authors who demonstrate this fact: Clifford Geertz, Horace Miner, and Andrei Toom. Their works seek to dive deeper
Goffman, E. 1959. The presentation of self in everyday life. Garden City, NY: Double Day
In today's society, with the advent of modern digital communication and an increased focus upon global society and diversity, humans have a golden opportunity to evaluate themselves and how they identify both individually and in their broader culture. Although the question of “who am I” is perhaps one of the classical questions of the human cognizance of identity, our identity as both groups and individuals is directly related to the culture we are a part of, especially in regards to whether that culture is determined to be individualistic or collectivist. These differing mindsets have an inherent connection to the way that we view ourselves and the impact of interactions between different cultures.