Dramaturgy is the way in which individuals use symbols, in their everyday life, to perform the social roles they have taken up in a society. It is about the way in which people carry themselves out under different situations. It is said that every individual wants to give an authentic behavior and identity when interacting with others. Sociologist Goffman argues that people have a unique aspect of themselves and they transmit that to others through key aspects in their behaviors and verbal skills. He talks about people having a social status and a role; when an individual performs their status then they are able to perform their role.
According to Goffman, in order for an individual to maintain their role they need to make sure to always maintain composure or what he calls ‘face’. He uses the face as an abstract idea of the social value that individuals give themselves when in different situations. It is the way in which you think about yourself and the way in which you present yourself to others. Goffman says that people use back and front stage behaviors to maintain their ‘face’. Front stage behavior is the side of the self that you let others in society see. And people use props, appearance and manners to help influence the way in which other see them. Back stage behavior is what individuals keep to themselves and those who they trust the most-like family members.
Goffman goes over various rituals that individuals do when interacting with others. One of them is ‘face work’. This is about doing what is consistent with the face, about putting the energy to maintain a specific outlook. Individuals accomplish this through what he calls lines and scripts. Lines are the patterns of communication that individuals have learn to follow, and the scripts are those different structures in lines that different situations have formed. A clear example of face work can be like those individuals that are doctors or lawyers. These individuals have to show a certain self to society. They have to behave and speak in a unique manner with those who they work with. To accomplish their job the right way they have to only show their professional side; it would be really hard to do their jobs if they opened up(showed their back stage behaviors) to of all their patients or clients.
Society tends to give meaning and interpretation to what they see in others. That is why it is so important to maintain what Goffman calls ‘face’. For the most part, society will show or give the same respect or value towards individuals as they give themselves. Goffman talks about the way in which people need to help each other maintain their face. If face is lost unforeseen consequences can take place. That is why Goffman says that it is everyone’s responsibility to help each other maintain it. By helping each other is one of the ways in which people are able to orderly and respectfully have learned to live and work with each other.
According to Goffman, in order for an individual to maintain their role they need to make sure to always maintain composure or what he calls ‘face’. He uses the face as an abstract idea of the social value that individuals give themselves when in different situations. It is the way in which you think about yourself and the way in which you present yourself to others. Goffman says that people use back and front stage behaviors to maintain their ‘face’. Front stage behavior is the side of the self that you let others in society see. And people use props, appearance and manners to help influence the way in which other see them. Back stage behavior is what individuals keep to themselves and those who they trust the most-like family members.
Goffman goes over various rituals that individuals do when interacting with others. One of them is ‘face work’. This is about doing what is consistent with the face, about putting the energy to maintain a specific outlook. Individuals accomplish this through what he calls lines and scripts. Lines are the patterns of communication that individuals have learn to follow, and the scripts are those different structures in lines that different situations have formed. A clear example of face work can be like those individuals that are doctors or lawyers. These individuals have to show a certain self to society. They have to behave and speak in a unique manner with those who they work with. To accomplish their job the right way they have to only show their professional side; it would be really hard to do their jobs if they opened up(showed their back stage behaviors) to of all their patients or clients.
Society tends to give meaning and interpretation to what they see in others. That is why it is so important to maintain what Goffman calls ‘face’. For the most part, society will show or give the same respect or value towards individuals as they give themselves. Goffman talks about the way in which people need to help each other maintain their face. If face is lost unforeseen consequences can take place. That is why Goffman says that it is everyone’s responsibility to help each other maintain it. By helping each other is one of the ways in which people are able to orderly and respectfully have learned to live and work with each other.