Lecture Notes: Goffman's Dramaturgical Theory

Key Concepts

• All the World's a Stage: The metaphor from Shakespeare's play, As You Like It, is used to describe human interaction as theatrical performance.

  • "All the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances."

• Irving Goffman's Dramaturgical Analysis:

  • Goffman took Shakespeare's lines seriously in his concept of human interaction.
  • He proposed that individuals present themselves as actors on a stage, each playing different roles.

Main Ideas

• Masks and Roles:

  • Individuals display a series of masks to others.
  • People enact roles and are concerned with managing how they appear to others.
  • The presentation changes according to the situation and audience.

• Adaptation in Social Interactions:

  • We adapt our roles based on who we are interacting with.
  • This adaptation is especially noticeable in awkward situations (e.g., interacting with friends from different social groups).

• No True Self:

  • Unlike acting, Goffman suggests there is no "true self" or fixed identity behind the roles.
  • Roles themselves define the performer.
  • The idea challenges the notion of a fixed psychological identity.

Goffman's Work

• The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life:
  • This work emphasizes the idea of social interaction as a performance.
  • Goffman is the author, discussing how people manage impressions in daily life.