Erving Goffman is famous for having developed the Dramaturgy Theory to help explain social interactions and individuals identities. During the time that Goffman was developing his theory sociological theory contained a wide variety of influences and ideas. It was full of classical theories which were being reformulated in new ways. Goffman drew upon classic American pragmatist thought as well as the social psychology of Mead to develop a school of thought that focused on the meanings and presentations of “self” which are encountered in everyday interaction.Goffman studied the everyday management of identity as one would study a play or theatrical drama. Central to his theoretical perspective on the self are his ideas about “impression management.”
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This universal drive Goffman calls impression management. Individuals manage other people's impressions of them by successfully portraying themselves "onstage," or in public. People present themselves to others based on cultural values and norms. More often than not individuals aim to create an image that meets society’s expectations. However, it is also possible to apply the dramaturgical frame in the case of nonconformity. If someone wished to convey that they do not agree with the social norms or cultural values, she must use a commonly understandable system of symbols in order to communicate those feelings. By doing so, she is still engaging in impression management by trying to present herself in a particular way to society. From a dramaturgical perspective, a performance of identity is successful when the audience sees the performer as he or she wishes to be …show more content…
Goffman explains this awareness in terms of “frontstage” and “backstage” behaviors. Front stage actions are those that are visible to the audience and are part of the performance, while backstage “actions only occur when the audience is not around. I used to work at a movie theater and example of Goffman’s stage behaviors would be the customer service. For example, while working and in front of customers, we typically do what a customer wants and try to appear unperturbed by bothersome requests, like extra butter half way through the popcorn. We are putting on a performance that we want the customer to believe that we are willing to meet the customer’s needs. However, as soon as the customer leaves, a worker might complain about or ridicule the customer to their coworkers. This shows how individuals are constantly aware of their audience and will alter their behaviors
This universal drive Goffman calls impression management. Individuals manage other people's impressions of them by successfully portraying themselves "onstage," or in public. People present themselves to others based on cultural values and norms. More often than not individuals aim to create an image that meets society’s expectations. However, it is also possible to apply the dramaturgical frame in the case of nonconformity. If someone wished to convey that they do not agree with the social norms or cultural values, she must use a commonly understandable system of symbols in order to communicate those feelings. By doing so, she is still engaging in impression management by trying to present herself in a particular way to society. From a dramaturgical perspective, a performance of identity is successful when the audience sees the performer as he or she wishes to be …show more content…
Goffman explains this awareness in terms of “frontstage” and “backstage” behaviors. Front stage actions are those that are visible to the audience and are part of the performance, while backstage “actions only occur when the audience is not around. I used to work at a movie theater and example of Goffman’s stage behaviors would be the customer service. For example, while working and in front of customers, we typically do what a customer wants and try to appear unperturbed by bothersome requests, like extra butter half way through the popcorn. We are putting on a performance that we want the customer to believe that we are willing to meet the customer’s needs. However, as soon as the customer leaves, a worker might complain about or ridicule the customer to their coworkers. This shows how individuals are constantly aware of their audience and will alter their behaviors