Erving Goffman’s The Presentation of Self

Erving Goffman’s The Presentation of Self

More About the Book

The book addresses self presentation and how we are able to put on different faces for different situation.

Team

Discrepant Roles

To put on a successful performance one must have a team, whether that team be multiple people or one person creating the team in his or her mind. (Goffman, 1973 pg 48)

Knowing when to keep secrets and what secrets to keep, releasing too much information can hurt your "performance" (Goffman, 1973 pg 87).

Communication Out of Character

Some people will create an audience when one is not present to continue the performance.

The team will operate as multiple performers to create one fuild performance

Performance

Before the audience can believe the character you are playing, you have to believe yourself (Goffman, 1973 pg. 10)

Goffman, E. (1973). The presentation of self in everyday life. Woodstick, N.Y.: Overlook Press

One has two sides, front stage and backstage.

Front stage--> you're continuing your

performance for your audience.

Backstage--> you are taking a break almost

from your character, not in character

and away from audience

(Goffman, 1973 pg 108)

Erving Goffman

Goffman, E. (1973). The presentation of self in everyday life. Woodstick, N.Y.: Overlook Press

Think of it as method acting, you have to mentally become the character you are playing.

Goffman, E. (1973). The presentation of self in everyday life. Woodstick, N.Y.: Overlook Press

Dr. Goffman is a Professor of Anthropology and sociology at the University of Pennsylvania

The Art of Impression Management

Regions and Region Behavior

Learning how to deal with certain situation, such as when you have to break character, understanding and learning the limits of your character (Goffman, 1973 134).

Was born June 11, 1922 in Manville, Alberta

Died in Philadelphia at the age of 60

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Goffman, E. (1973). The presentation of self in everyday life. Woodstick, N.Y.: Overlook Press

Knowing how to change your "character" depending on where you are. (Goffman, 1973 p 67)

VS

Was president of the American Sociology Association in 1981

About

Goffman, E. (1973). The presentation of self in everyday life. Woodstick, N.Y.: Overlook Press

The theory has six components: Performance, teams, regions and region behaviors, discrepant roles, communication out of character, and the art of impression management

Was awarded the Guggenheim fellowship

Why is it Important?

The theory states that we are all basically on a stage performing the roles we have taken on at all times.

Erving Goffman. (n.d.) Retrieved June, 3 2015, from http://www.blackwood.org/Erving.htm

This theory is important to communication because it helps people regulate how to change their personality and manners for the appropriate situation