Demeanor In Middle School

People have always been easier to mold into the way society wants them the younger they are, but in modern society, children are expected to attend school throughout high school. This is what makes middle school a critical total institution. During middle school students are shaped by their peers, teachers, and the structure of school into how society wants them to act. A student’s peer group exemplifies Erving Goffman’s definition of demeanor in a middle school. He defines demeanor as an “individual’s ceremonial behavior typically conveyed through [material culture] which express[es] to those in his immediate presence that he is a person of certain desirable or undesirable qualities.” (Goffman, 77). The student’s demeanor is extremely evident when they are with peers because they allow their true self to be unleashed. Some examples of how their self can be revealed is by the kinds of things they promote or avoid. If they do drugs and avoid homework they are exposing themselves as an apathetic student however, if they regularly do their homework …show more content…
Goffman would argue that this behavior is the individuals’ acts of deference. He defines deference as the “component of activity which functions as a symbolic means by which appreciation is regularly conveyed to a recipient of this recipient” (Goffman, 56). The student is expected to give the teacher respect inside and outside of class. In lecture they should be listening and taking notes, and outside class they are supposed to be doing their homework the teacher assigned to them and talk about them respectfully. If they do not follow the expectations in class they may have to serve a detention and if they do not do their homework enough they will get punished as well. The relationship between teacher and student shapes the student to be respectful of people who are above them on the social