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Is Erving Goffman's Presentation Of Self In Everyday Life?

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Erving Goffman, a modern theorist, is notorious for his idea of the presentation of self in everyday life. Similar to Du Bois, Goffman used a pragmatic approach to his theories. However, his basic principle was that action, not consciousness is the basis of knowledge. He noted that if social forces are true, they should be observable to solidify that truth. To study this, Goffman employed his idea of “dramaturgy” which is depicted through his metaphor of the theater and the theatrical performance of life. The only self that humans have is situational and it varies in every social setting, so therefore we are always putting on a front. This front is an expression of a certain self-identity at a certain time and place that is formed by the individual actor using appearance and manner and is then read by the audience (Dollar). If the actor portrays a successful performance, then the audience will view the actor of they want to be viewed in that particular moment and setting. Take bullying for instance, the bully is putting on a front and acting as if they are tough individuals, however, when they are backstage and not performing, they could have low self-esteem caused by abusive relationships or even many personal issues. Goffman’s theory of the presentation of self in everyday life is different depending on the time, location and audience. Performances of self are also enactments with a dual purpose. …show more content…

This meaning that actors perform a role that is consistent with how they self-identify in that specific moment and that the performance is intended to influence the audience so that they may see the actor as they see

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