Goffmans Theory of Dramaturgy - Essay Example

College: The concept of dramaturgy was developed by Goffman to express life as a continuous play acted by people in their day to day activities. According to Goffman (1), people learn their roles through socialization and enactment is done in the company of other society members who are also enacting theirs’ through the ongoing interaction at the front and back stages. The front stage is where people act in the presence of others and deliver to the society. On the other hand, back stage is the private area where people can express their real selves without acting and pretense.

It also gives an opportunity for people to practice and get ready for the front stage. According to Goffman (2), impression management is the manipulation of other peoples impression about actors on stage. The mechanisms used to doctor impressions include appearance, social setting and interactions. For example, a person who lives in a luxurious and heavily guarded home indicates that he or she may be wealthy, powerful and important and thus only invited people are allowed in, and the vice versa is true.

Appearance is the way through which first impressions are created. It can be through dressing, physical stature, race and stereotypes. For example, clothes speak volumes about an individual’s status, self esteem, profession and occasion. Interactions include attitudes used to manipulate others impressions about an individual (Goffman 3). Non verbal communication like gestures, facial expressions, personal space and body language convey meaning on how one wants to be perceived. For example, prestigious people In the society protect their personal space and are more likely to invade other peoples space.

Works citedGoffman Erving , The Presentation of Self In Everyday Life. New York: Doubleday, 1959.