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Erving Goffman Analysis

Decent Essays

Symbolic Interactionism According to Erving Goffman, one of his main ideas was impression management, and it states the verbal and nonverbal methods people engage trying to show a satisfactory representation of the self and others. For example, camouflaging or hiding data about ourselves that is discordant with the image we are trying to promote or ensuring spectators exclusion for those who we play one of our parts, so disguising will not be presented and taking the styles of others. (Applemouth and Edles, 2012: 468)”. This idea is portrayed by many people when they are looking for a job, so they might omit an unpleasant or certain facts on a resume like getting fired or quitting due to a disagreement. It can happen in person or on the internet …show more content…

Goffman is creating a similarity between the way we characterize ourselves in exchanges and the way performers convey their different roles they play. Self: the “self” is a dramatic product of interaction between individuals and groups. Deference is admiration is bestowed to a person. Demeanor means how a person presents a role. Front (stage): public performances are flawless and planned to describe the circumstances for spectators like a play. An example, is getting in front of the class to give a PowerPoint presentation, or giving a speech to a group. Backstage is the area of the presentation, which usually goes unnoticed by and regulated from the spectators (Applemouth and Edles, 2012: 475). Persons are free to convey any message they wish, and they can do it in a way they would not use in …show more content…

Military Personnel are not allowed to show their weakness and pain, but in the backstage while in his bed or bunk he is alone with his personal feelings. The same could apply to an inmate who does not want to appear weak in front of his or her fellow inmates, and only in a cell at night the prisoner be allowed to feel any emotion. The demeanor to the inmate will be in uniform with no personal flair of any kind, and they will look the same as everybody else. No one will know apart from the number, so they will lose part of their identity. Respect and obedience will be given to authority, or be humiliated and punished by isolation. The inmate will not be receiving deference, but they will be giving it to the authority personnel. Avoidance rituals take the procedure of exclusions, prohibitions, and restrictions, and the actor must refrain from doing lest he violate the right of the addressee to keep him at a distance (Applemouth and Edles, [Goffman], 2012: 473). The detainee will have many restrictions and petty rules he must follow along with the ritual of saluting an officer or addressing the authority figure in a certain way. The process is to desensitize the inmate or cadet until his spirit is broken, and he no longer will rebel. An inmate must perform for the captors, and he or she must play the part of a model prisoner. The self is a

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