Theories of Contextual Behavior in Erving Goffman’s The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life

First written in 1956 by former Sociologist and President of the American Sociological Association, Erving Goffman’s The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life takes a micro-level approach in explaining changes in individual behavior as they relate to various situational contexts within social interaction. Goffman establishes and analyzes the processes by which we change our behavior in order to alter or manage the impressions we give off.
In order to apply Goffman’s theories in a contemporary context, it’s important to first understand and recognize the main concepts outlined in his work. To begin, the performance can be defined as “all the activity of a given participant on a given occasion which serves to influence in any way any of the other participants” (Goffman 1956:8). A performance is central to every social interaction. It can be seen as the manner in which the participants interact, react, and make meaning of their encounter. The audience then, is the individual(s) observing your performance. They become highly influential in the manner with which the interaction ensues, as the performer will constantly alter his behavior in an attempt to gain or receive a desired response from the audience. Likewise, the setting of an interaction is central in determining the type of behavior displayed. For instance, behavior in a formal upper-class restaurant will undoubtedly differ from the behavior patrons will display while socializing at a local pub. Appearance “may be taken to refer to those stimuli which function at the time to tell us of the performer’s social statuses” (Goffman 1956:15). Thus, the appearance of an individual portrays their current social status or role within society. A person wearing a white lab coat may caus...

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...ide. Through careful preparation the actor is able to present only the most positive and most desirable aspects of their identity (or false identity). In the most extreme cases, these interactions can become dangerous when sexually abusive adults pose online as children in order to lure them into harmful or potentially life threatening situations.
As society changes and technology advances, the methods and frequency of social interaction will undoubtedly change with it. Yet, no matter how drastic these changes, Goffman’s conceptualizations of presentation of self within social interaction will hold true. As long as the human race exists, and as long as social interaction occurs between people, Goffman’s ideas will remain ever present. The challenge lays in our interpretation these of concepts, and our effective, or ineffective, application of them to everyday life.