Erving Goffman (1922-1982) was a sociologist who analyzed social interaction with what he referred to as the dramaturgical perspective or analysis. He believed that people live their lives as if they are performing. In this way, he studied social interaction in similarity with how theatre works with actors, props, dialogue, and setting. Instead of these pieces of theatre, however, everyday life involves people (actors), the things of their surrounds (both props and setting), and the ways in which they create their reality and interact around other people (dialogue, etcetera). This was Goffman’s method for studying social interaction; however, life is not as simple as that.
In living among others every day, people have to contend with various …show more content…
When watching theatre, one can see that all the actors perform not only a predetermined script but also in accordance with one another. The play goes on through any mistakes whether it be in the setting and lighting or in the actors themselves. Much in the same way, I and all the other people globally perform in life despite any hardships from both inner conflicts with opposing statuses and roles and external obstacles, both animate and inanimate. I live life as I can, balancing my various roles as I see fit. I allow my numerous statuses to aid me rather than hinder me in my everyday interactions. From a dramaturgical perspective, I perform my day to day life not only as I see fit but also in a way that allows me to coexist with other people also struggling through their own various statuses and roles. I am a woman; I have family and culture; I am a student. Throughout my daily social interaction, I am all of these at once, and I constantly mesh them together and swap between them to function with other actors on the stage I stand on. At the same time, I choose to move beyond common roles and be who I want to be, despite the conflict of existing in a world such as this. In these ways, I perform my everyday life as Goffman theorized, on a stage with lights upon me being what I am supposed to be and at the same time choosing my own way in being that
In living among others every day, people have to contend with various …show more content…
When watching theatre, one can see that all the actors perform not only a predetermined script but also in accordance with one another. The play goes on through any mistakes whether it be in the setting and lighting or in the actors themselves. Much in the same way, I and all the other people globally perform in life despite any hardships from both inner conflicts with opposing statuses and roles and external obstacles, both animate and inanimate. I live life as I can, balancing my various roles as I see fit. I allow my numerous statuses to aid me rather than hinder me in my everyday interactions. From a dramaturgical perspective, I perform my day to day life not only as I see fit but also in a way that allows me to coexist with other people also struggling through their own various statuses and roles. I am a woman; I have family and culture; I am a student. Throughout my daily social interaction, I am all of these at once, and I constantly mesh them together and swap between them to function with other actors on the stage I stand on. At the same time, I choose to move beyond common roles and be who I want to be, despite the conflict of existing in a world such as this. In these ways, I perform my everyday life as Goffman theorized, on a stage with lights upon me being what I am supposed to be and at the same time choosing my own way in being that