UNIVERSITY OF THE WITWATERSRAND
Oncemore Mbeve
Erving Goffman’s Theory
University of the Witwatersrand
4/15/2013
The essay briefly discusses Goffman’s theory in understanding the ways in which people
present themselves in their everyday lives both, in the relationships between parents and
children at home as well as the older and younger people in a community setting. The
discussion is mainly based on Erving Goffman’s 1959, the presentation of self in everyday
life.
, Page | 1
oncemore mbeve 696177
The essay briefly discusses Goffman’s theory in understanding the ways in which people
present themselves in their everyday lives both, in the relationships between parents and
children at home as well as the older and younger people in a community setting. The
discussion is mainly based on Erving Goffman’s 1959, the presentation of self in everyday
life.
In his theory Goffman attempts to pinpoint and profoundly comprehend the interaction
between people in the society. He goes on to deliberately confer how this works. The body of
his work is called the dramaturgical approach, and this is rooted from the term drama. He
essentially says that the world is like a stage in which people act their everyday lives.
Golffman identifies some relevant concepts as he attempts to explain people’s interactions.
By citation the concepts are afforded as: humans; are active and knowledgeable, devise their
own conducts, guide and control how others see them, are different in social settings than
alone and are social con artists.
In his consideration of humans as active and knowledgeable, Golffman contends that, we are
not passive features waiting around for things to happen to us. We have knowledge in our
brains that help to drive the way we decide to behave and in that respect we are active in the
process of behaviour and in the process of developing the society. He also believes that
humans devise their own conduct and that this is something that each individual must arrive
on their own. He does not say that there are no external influences to that behaviour, but he
give a lot more credit to individuals than to the structure. He says that humans are little
devious that we want to guide and control how other people see us. As in case of the older
and younger people in a community setting; we do not leave the house every morning
without brushing our teeth and combing our hair. Rather we leave the house in a way which
we are reasonably comfortable that our presentation is going to be ok with people that when
they see us they are not going to recoil because we look a mess.
Golffman also believes intensely that human beings behave differently in social settings
around other people than they do when they are alone. We behave differently than where
there is an expectation placed on us by the society, by being out there around other people,
say at the church; we depict behaviours that might be expected there. He also argued that
human beings are social con artists; he thinks that we have a job to do, and our job is to put
forth the best presentation of ourselves that we can. Golffman says that we do this through
Oncemore Mbeve
Erving Goffman’s Theory
University of the Witwatersrand
4/15/2013
The essay briefly discusses Goffman’s theory in understanding the ways in which people
present themselves in their everyday lives both, in the relationships between parents and
children at home as well as the older and younger people in a community setting. The
discussion is mainly based on Erving Goffman’s 1959, the presentation of self in everyday
life.
, Page | 1
oncemore mbeve 696177
The essay briefly discusses Goffman’s theory in understanding the ways in which people
present themselves in their everyday lives both, in the relationships between parents and
children at home as well as the older and younger people in a community setting. The
discussion is mainly based on Erving Goffman’s 1959, the presentation of self in everyday
life.
In his theory Goffman attempts to pinpoint and profoundly comprehend the interaction
between people in the society. He goes on to deliberately confer how this works. The body of
his work is called the dramaturgical approach, and this is rooted from the term drama. He
essentially says that the world is like a stage in which people act their everyday lives.
Golffman identifies some relevant concepts as he attempts to explain people’s interactions.
By citation the concepts are afforded as: humans; are active and knowledgeable, devise their
own conducts, guide and control how others see them, are different in social settings than
alone and are social con artists.
In his consideration of humans as active and knowledgeable, Golffman contends that, we are
not passive features waiting around for things to happen to us. We have knowledge in our
brains that help to drive the way we decide to behave and in that respect we are active in the
process of behaviour and in the process of developing the society. He also believes that
humans devise their own conduct and that this is something that each individual must arrive
on their own. He does not say that there are no external influences to that behaviour, but he
give a lot more credit to individuals than to the structure. He says that humans are little
devious that we want to guide and control how other people see us. As in case of the older
and younger people in a community setting; we do not leave the house every morning
without brushing our teeth and combing our hair. Rather we leave the house in a way which
we are reasonably comfortable that our presentation is going to be ok with people that when
they see us they are not going to recoil because we look a mess.
Golffman also believes intensely that human beings behave differently in social settings
around other people than they do when they are alone. We behave differently than where
there is an expectation placed on us by the society, by being out there around other people,
say at the church; we depict behaviours that might be expected there. He also argued that
human beings are social con artists; he thinks that we have a job to do, and our job is to put
forth the best presentation of ourselves that we can. Golffman says that we do this through
