I believe that Goffman has a good concept of how we act. His first statement is very true in the sense of humans being active, and striving for what we believe in, rather than being passive and waiting for things to just fall into place. It's a fact that most people try to "Guide" and "Control" how others view an individual. Most people will prep themselves before going into public to make sure that they're comfortable and presentable for other people. It's my belief that people act different when they're out in a social setting than in the confines of our own home. I believe that we are like actors, because we use the tool of impression management to impress or even manipulate the audience into liking us or what we say. I believe that the back stage concept is true to a certain extent. I think that it varies from person to person on how we act in the backstage. I don't believe that we are too different from how we are in the front stage. Jworm007
I agree with this statement fully. When Jworm077 talks about the first statement in the sense of humans being active and striving for what we believe in feather than being passive and waiting for things to just fall into place, in todays world that is beyond true. People striving for what they want is a common thing we see today unlike just letting things fall wherever they need to go which is what we should do. iCHEER6007
I agree 100%. I also believe that it varies from person to person on if the "true you" is either your front stage or your backstage. Also in today's world, people striving to be the best is very common. People today do crazy things, just to try to put themselves out their to be successful in life. Miley Cyrus is a great example. She knows people are looking at her thinking to themselves "This girl's nuts." but she also knows that it gets her name out there even more to better her career, whether its a good career or not. BLUELIGHT007
Goffman idea of how we act is straight on. Life being a stage is also very true. Waiting for things to fall into place would be the right thing to do in the world today but most people like he said in the video, people strive for what they believe in to get what they want when they want it. To most people I think waiting is not an option anymore which, is what I think he is trying to get at in this video. Most people do try to guide and control how people view other individuals when out in public. When people go out in public all they try and do is impress people so they are not judged, but yet being alone they do not care what they look like. When looking good out in public or trying to anyway it is to get the right reaction out of people because it is what we want to hear. iCHEER6007
I completely agree with what you said about people in today's society thinking waiting is no longer an option. People are much more assertive and aggressive nowadays when it comes to getting what they want. I think this can be related to America placing a high value on efficiency. We always want things as soon as possible. Hawkward007
I 100% agree with Goffman's point of view on how we act as a person. Life is like a stage, and the only down time you get from acting, is when your alone. Even when your "back stage" you can see yourself, practicing for when you open the curtain. It's like when you call an employer for the first time. You don't just pick the phone up and call, you recite what you want to say and how you want to say things before hand. In today's society, we are taught at a young age to strive for what you want out of life, and to never give up. Our way of fighting this is by putting a presence on as if we are everything that they need. Nobody likes to see flaws in themselves, but in reality we all have them, we just like to put them "backstage". BLUELIGHT007
I like your point that we sometimes rehearse what we are going to say on the phone before we even pick up the phone. This is something that I find myself often doing whether it is a call to a business, school related, or to someone I do not know well. justagirl007
I agree that being alone is the only chance we get to be "Off Stage". That's only for a short period of time because rehearsal begins during that time for our next performance. Job interviews are perhaps the best performance we ever give, just trying to get our foot in the door and to be on the next stage at work. Wdwfan007
Life is a stage because once you step on it everybody is looking at you... how you look, how you dress, how you talk, and how you act. Its like doing the assignment and waiting on your grade. Your assignment is getting ready for your audience and your grade is your reassurance to let you know you fit into society and once that's completed you can therefore head back to the backstage. The backstage is your completion. Your all done for the day. You take your mask off, your costume off, kick your feet up, and relax. Reevaluate your day so tomorrow you'll know what to expect. The crew in your backstage is your closest friends and family who excepts you for you 101%. You can look a anyway, act anyway, dress anyway, and be the real you. cancer80-007
I like your idea that our family and friends are like our backstage crew. I feel that it is very important to have at least a few close people you can truly open up to. The idea that absolutely no one sees how you truly are “backstage” seems very sad and lonely to me. It is one thing to “put on a show” to impress certain people, but we should never let society make us believe that we have to be viewed a certain way even by the people who love us no matter what. ~QueenofHearts007
I like your idea on regardless people should except you for you the good and the bad the ups and downs. When a individual see you one way and that same individual see your backstage they get confused because they expect to see you that same way all the time. cancer80-007
I had never thought of life as a stage before hearing about Erving Goffman's theory, but I completely agree with what he is saying and now have a different outlook on people's every day actions. I think people are actors in every social setting and even change how they act in different social settings and around different people. For example, how we act and talk with authoritative figures is much different than the show we put on for peers. We try to give off an impression that is socially acceptable depending on who we are with. Thinking of life as a stage, in my opinion, makes humans seem a little more manipulative that what I had originally thought. We are constantly changing how we act in order to get what we want or to give off a certain impression. I like Goffman's analogy of the front stage and backstage. I agree that there are only a few people who truly know who we are because they see how we act when we are no longer putting on a show for the rest of society. Hawkward007
This short lecture is on Goffman’s dramaturgical analysis. His dramaturgical analysis is the study of social interaction in terms of theatrical performance. According to him, all of life is like a stage. In social settings we’re on our front stage. We feel like actors and try to put our best person out to make people like us and be accepted into our society. We feel like it’s our job to perform well and we try and manipulate those watching to accept us. When we retreat to the backstage we become more of who we really are. It is a place that is closed and hidden from other people and it’s where we let are guard down and practice for our front stage. I thought it was interesting that no one besides ourselves truly knows who we are in the backstage. I never though as my interaction in social settings like performing an act to impress others, but now I can totally see it. I wonder if we could all see into each other’s back stages if we would no longer feel the need to impress out on the front stage. justagirl007
I agree, we are just actors trying to get people to like us and so we manipulate them to get them to like us. This is accomplished through falling in to peer pressure and trying to impress our family. I also found it interesting, that no one besides ourselves truly knows who we are back stage. - Jazzdk -007
I agree with Goffman's ideas, mainly dramaturgical analysis. When we prepare to present ourselves to the public we take a shower, do our hair, and brush our teeth. We do this so when we go out and do what we need to do for the day our presentation of self looks good. Our lives are just a big stage as Goffman said, I see it especially when meeting people for the first time whether at work, a gathering, or an interview. At each of these instances we exaggerate the truth and manipulate the people around us to get where we want our performance to end, be it getting a job from an interview or making friends at a gathering. Then “back stage” we have people that we can reveal our true selves and act the way we want. These people you trust more than others, which is why you don’t have to put a performance on for them. -Jazzdk -007
I also agree with you. After reading your response I feel as if we perform for those people that we do not trust wholeheartedly. But for the people we are really close to we do not need to perform, we can be our true selves. Thanks for pointing that out. Lucidity007
Although many people have never heard of Goffman’s “stage” idea, it is definitely put into practice by every person, every day. From the time we learn to walk, we are taught that certain behaviors are acceptable in certain places. Even if unconsciously, this idea is present in every job interview, first day of school, teenage girl afraid to “be herself” with her first crush, etc. This relates with the psychology that humans have an innate need to be liked. It also relates with the sociology of roles and status. Like the narrator said, we use our behavior to manipulate people. We alter our behavior for every circumstance to offer what we believe to be the desired person in order to promote ourselves to the status and roles we want. I completely agree with the dramaturgical outlook, because it is basic human nature to change our behavior to make the right impression for the situation. Everyone knows that presentation is everything. ~QueenofHearts007
I agree with you and Goffman for the most part. The way we act with certain behaviors in certain situations that is true. We also give a certain presentation to try and impress those that we want to impress. I don't agree with the presentation is everything though, just because there have been many situations where even though there was an intended presentation that didn't necessarily go the way you wanted, the person you wanted to impress sometimes can overlook that - Murse007
I think Goffman is pretty cool. I agree with him 100%. Life really is a "stage." We as humans are very knowledgeable and active. As for devising our own conduct I also agree and I would probably credit ourselves as an individual even more than Goffman because I don't think anyone influences the way we act, we choose to. Even if someone is being mean or annoying to you, you still as an individual choose to react a certain way. We also guide and control how others see us by the way we dress and present ourselves to others. No one likes to be the odd one out or made fun of. Also we should be different in social settings than when we are at home. That just goes along with that there is a right time and right place for everything. I'm not going to go to church and use profanity or walk around in my underwear, even though that is something I would do in the comfort of my own home. Just using an example :).
I would disagree a little with your post. I feel that individuals are influenced by others around them. How many time have you hung around with someone to have them change when a different person with different views comes into the mix. We are a product of our society and culture. Redwings77
I also disagree with your post just a little bit. I don't think we really have complete control over how we act. I feel like a lot of the time the people in our lives are influencing us, even if they don't know it, to act, dress, and look a certain way. Because of who they are, we feel like we need to be like them so that we can fit in. -BeautifullyBroken007
Life is defiantly a stage in our country. Goffman completely described what goes on in the mind of most people preparing to face the day in our society. Very few people are comfortable enough to be themselves all the time. They are probably the happiest people due to their candid self honesty, unfortunately they are all so labeled with negative stereotypes. Most people who play the game of hiding behind the persona of who they are not, pick on the one's who do not hide. We all have our different circles of comfortably, family, friends, school and work. The rehearsed performance is presented to whichever audience is present. Disaster can occur when multiple mixed audiences are in front of us. When the school and family audience worlds collide, which performance do we display? Public speaking is the number one fear for most people, yet impression management comes very natural to us because we practice it all the time. We might even be hiding behind these Blogs. They seem to be a form of an anonymous stage. Wdwfan007
I believe that life is indeed a stage! People put their act on during the front stage while people are watching, and these people are themselves once the curtains close. I agree that people put up a different acts from person to person. No matter how many times people are told to be themselves, it just doesn’t change the scene of the front stage. Jworm007
You said, "Most people who play the game of hiding behind the persona of who they are not, pick on the one's who do not hide." This really stuck out to me. I think that people who act differently than the "norm" but are just being themselves, do get ridiculed. For a country that claims to value self-expression and individualism, this behavior of others making fun of the different ones seems odd. The majority of the people in our country are not trying to be themselves, they are trying to be like everyone else to become accepted by those around them. - turtle007
Goffman's concept of dramaturgy is very interesting to me. I think that most people (once they reach a certain age) want to guide and control how others see them. This is why we chose a certain look for ourselves, buy material objects, and act a certain way. I can admit that I do this every single day. I like to get ready and do my hair, put make on, and wear nicer clothes if I am going out in public to do something. If I just go somewhere right when I get out of bed, I feel uncomfortable and do not want people to even look at me. Another very interesting concept of this, is the idea of a front stage and back stage in each of our lives. Honestly, if someone said that they do not think that this applies to them then I would think they were lying. We all act differently when we are alone than we do if we were shopping, at church, or watching a baseball game. The comment in this video that really got me thinking was when the speaker started questioning whether or not anyone in our lives truly knows who we are. Some people probably do not even believe that they truly know themselves. I do not think I completely know who I am yet so I obviously do not think anyone truly knows me, not even my parents or best friends. Perhaps when I get married someday and start a family, my husband and children will know me just as well as I know myself. - turtle007
I think it is pretty cool how Goffman viewed humans and how life is a stage. I think that he was totally right in the way that we don't just sit around and wait for change but that we look for ways to make the change. His study of social interaction shows us how one person can make a change say in how they dress, which at the time might not be socially acceptable within their peer group, will start to become more acceptable as time goes by. The longer the way they dress the more the peers will start to dress the same. Redwings77
I agree with what you are saying to a degree about the idea that peers will start to dress the same. I see people everyday who dress differently according to their personal preference and most people won't accept them for it. If its to drastic from what most of society is used to, they will become an outcast. Lake3194
This clip caught my attention right away. I found the illustration about people being on stage especially intriguing. Everybody likes to look nice in front of people they don’t know. People want to make good first impressions and want people to like them immediately. In order to do this people go “back stage” and get ready to view people in public “front stage” by putting on the clothes that are trending right now and make sure they have the “it” phone. Its like getting ready for an interview, you dress right, prepare for the questions that you will be asked and make sure you have the right answers. You are almost putting on this façade that you act like this person all the time. If you think about your first day of school, you remember everyone dressing nicely and being polite but buy the second week of school everyone has gone back there normal way of dressing and acting. I think Goffman hit the nail on the head with this theory. Lake3194 007
People create and id for themselves not even realizing it. Like a job interview, people are looking into a mirror and practicing their smile and facial expressions. I agree that the first day of school, students would dress nicely and be nice. I remember doing this myself going into high school and college. Tenshi 007
I agree with your comment, first impressions are the most valuable and many times we do not get a second chance to make up first impressions. Since we are interacting using so many forms of communication we have a very short window of opportunity to make real friends or impress our superiors making sure we care for our “self”. Elise007
I agree that people put on an act when they are in public. I can think of a teenaged female wanting to be popular. She wants everybody to like her and to receive all the attention from the boys. She has to be the best dressed, have the best personality, and have good grades. In public, she may seem to care what other girls are saying, but then talks behind their back. This doesn’t just apply to the ladies, men do the same thing. I can remember a friend being nice to the more socially awkward students and turn around to some of the more popular students, and begin making fun of the kids he had just been nice to. I feel that most of us are on a stage, but there are people who are themselves. They don’t try and hide behind a character created for the play that society lives in. Walmart would be one set destination where people come in their pajamas, have not brushed their teeth, or even have showered. Those people would do their grocery shopping and not care what other people think. I believe there is a website for the people who are themselves and don’t care what society has to say. You can check them out at http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/ Tenshi 007
I agree, I feel like we are trained and know how we're supposed to act, so a lot of times we do it just because we know that's what will make people like us and will make us a "good person." We know what is socially acceptable and expected of our behavior and actions and I think when we abide by those expectations we're just doing it because we know we should in order to fit in. -macey2013
Here's the thing, though - why do the people on that website not seem to care about the impression made on others? Perhaps it's the viewer who's saying that they don't care, while this might not be true at all for the people being photographed. It's possible that they're intentionally challenging the norms of "grocery shopper" when they go out. - manatee007
I can see and understand every aspect of Goffman's theory of dramaturgy and I would have to agree with him for the most part that life is a stage, so to speak. I believe that we as humans constantly feel like we have to put up a certain front or act depending on the situation we're in on the "front stage." By watching other people we learn how to "act" in every situation as well as how to act if we want to fit in with a certain group. I think this is completely natural and part of human nature to adapt your act to who you're with and where you are as well as what you're doing. I also agree that because of the "backstage" when we're alone, a lot of times it is hard for people to see who we really are unless they're so close to you they can be part of your backstage where you can just relax and take off your mask. -macey2013
Until a couple days ago I had seen the world I interact in as a set of requirements I am expected to fulfill. As Goffman’s theory considers me an actor, I must say that on center stage my performance has been regulated by a set of expectations determined by the people that surround me and I directly interact with. Whether it is a casual or formal contest I know my actions must be controlled and measured to maintain a good impression in other’s minds as I “present [my] Self”. Depending of the occasion, I also find myself applying “impression management” while I prepare myself to be reserved in front of my superiors or people I do not know very well. But after all I believe I do project myself as I truly am except for the jokes I crack once in a while. But I must say that I had come across individuals who had thrown me off base with their great fake performance. This is my impression but the lecture video describes a very similar concept. Elise007
I completely agree with this. I have also noticed how my actions in certain environments have to be measured and maintained. With certain people and groups you have to act a certain way or else you get looked at as weird. While some people don’t think that is a big deal, it can be crucial when trying to make new friends. There is a time and a place for everything, even how you act. –lordSWOLEdemort007
I am very similar. When I first meet people I try to make myself not stick out as much as possible, but once I know someone you can hardly get me to shut up. I agree also with being throne by people who act "fake." It's hard to describe in words how someone can act "fake" without generalizing everyone into this category, but most real people can spot when someone is being fake right off. Openmind 007
Goffman's theory is a very simple way of looking at the symbolic-interactionist approach to social interaction. Although that isn't entirely bad, I think its focus is too narrow. My major issue with his approach is that it seems to give too much agency to individuals when they interact. While I definitely agree that we will put on different "masks" depending on who we are speaking to and what our goals are, we also need to consider the role that social structure plays in constructing the environment in which we interact, as well as whether the impressions we attempt to put on are accepted by the "audience" observing us. To better explain what I'm trying to say, consider the setting of being pulled over by a white police officer. Imagine the same scene taking place in a predominantly white suburb and a predominantly black inner-city environment. For both people participating in the performance, there are status and role sets projected onto each other. In a suburban environment, one would probably expect the roles of a white police officer to take on a more positive tone than in an inner-city neighborhood. What I'm trying to say is that there are external forces that will always impose themselves on conversations, guiding us into certain narrowed patterns of behavior. - manatee007
I find Goffman’s theory to be very interesting. I would agree with most if not all of the theory. I just think however that a lot of what is stated is just a statement of the obvious. Most of the five points in the beginning were all just real statements that most humans would agree to be true, Goffman just got lucky enough to summarize it all together. The application to the front and back stage is an interesting concept in itself. It almost sounds like it is saying that all people are just fake and never themselves around people where as I feel like people can be more real around a certain, select group of friends and not just one or two people in your life. I am not fond of the word usage of manipulation. It has a kind of negative connotation to it and sounds like everyone’s lives are just a big act to try and please as many people as you can. While some people think the goal of life is to get as many people as you can to like you, I believe that there are still some people that couldn’t care less about what people think about them and will just act normal (or so it may seem). –lordSWOLEdemort007
I found Erving Goffman's theory of dramaturgical analysis to be spot on. Really though, how many people do you feel like you can truly be yourself around? As human beings, we are constantly pressured by our friends, family, and the media to act a certain way even if they don't know they're influencing us in this way. We are pressured to go along with what society says we should be. This is an example of us on our "front stage." Depending on where you are, you feel the need to act a certain way, there is no denying that. Goffman was completely right when he said life is a stage. Every day we prepare for our "performance" by taking a shower, doing our hair, picking out an outfit. But, behind closed doors, we can be whoever we REALLY want to be because no one is there to make us feel like we need to be something. We can be what/who we want to be. -BeautifullyBroken007
I agree with you, after listening to the video I was really thinking about who I am truly myself around. Honestly, its only a handful of people! I think his front stage and back stage approach is exactly right, along with everything in between! The way society expects us to be really does play a part of how we are even if someone wants to admit it or not!! alo007
Isnt it interesting to see an explanation of why we act like we do? I think this is a great metaphor and way to remember society and our culture is full of influences of how we are supposed to look or act, and in a constant battle to be seen as socially acceptable. Jb047d007
I completely agree with Erving Goffman’s Dramaturgical Approach. He states that life is basically a stage, this is true, in my opinion. I agree with this because he says that humans devise their own conduct. This is true we all are control of ourselves, as individuals. We do guide and control how other people see us. Society has such an impact on how our presentation is. We, as humans, are like actors we put our best characters presentable for other people to be accepted into society. In that way we are on stage. Backstage, according to Goffman’s Theory, is us away from society and its when we let our guard down we act how we are comfortable with. In this place it is our true self, not one person knows how we truly are! Thinking of this really is surprising because its so true! We act different in public vs how we do when we are by ourselves.. thinking deep into this approach makes me rethink my “stage”. alo007
Personally I agree with Goffman. Everyone is on a stage and ultimately life is a play. We all have roles and statuses that we act out. I think everyone has an ideal person that they either want to be or do not want to be and this shapes our "character", so to speak. When people are around we like to put on a show. But when no one is present I think most, if not all, people change even if its a little bit. Most people behave the way they feel society expects them to behave. And with different settings or "backgrounds", our play tends to change. Lucidity007
I agree with Goffman's beliefs. The idea of preservation of self is dead on. I can remember not wanting to go to school if I didn't have on the right clothes or if I had a huge blemish on my face. I wanted people to think I was this beautiful person inside and out. There is definitely a difference between the role I play in sociology class and the role I play at home. There is also a completely different role I would play when out with my friends in a social setting. While I believe that my husband and parents know me well, I do not think that they know my "backstage personality" So I do believe no one can truly get to know you. Lowis Layne 007
I really enjoyed how Goffman made a way of explaining why we tend to choose general patterns of behavior that are influenced by our culture and society. Theatrical performance is a great metaphor to remember we have our times we are constantly in public view and times when we can let our guard down and be ourselves without fearing judgement or criticism. We all have a "presentation of self" that we present as our culture shapes what is socially acceptable. It is our human nature to want to be accepted and even approved of by others in our culture, and we work hard to conform ourselves to what our society and culture perceives as socially accepted or morally right or just. In another culture, those views and norms or what is perceived as impression management are much different. Jb047d007
This video was very interesting. This video really made a lot of sense to me. My grandma was a special ed teacher for thirty eight years and told me stories about kids that just could not learn in the classroom. I’m not sure if she has ever heard of this sociologist, but her view of the world being a stage is virtually the same. She would tell me that once she took the kids out of the class room setting that were having trouble with behavior problem it almost completely changed the kids. They would actually sit and learn when they didn’t have anyone to entertain other students. The way Goffman put it was spot on. A lot of people put up a front in order to impress others, but once they are by themselves they can be completely different individuals. This video really solidified the view my grandma had toward kids. That everyone was capable of learning with the right environment. Openmind 007
I believe that Goffman has a good concept of how we act. His first statement is very true in the sense of humans being active, and striving for what we believe in, rather than being passive and waiting for things to just fall into place. It's a fact that most people try to "Guide" and "Control" how others view an individual. Most people will prep themselves before going into public to make sure that they're comfortable and presentable for other people. It's my belief that people act different when they're out in a social setting than in the confines of our own home. I believe that we are like actors, because we use the tool of impression management to impress or even manipulate the audience into liking us or what we say. I believe that the back stage concept is true to a certain extent. I think that it varies from person to person on how we act in the backstage. I don't believe that we are too different from how we are in the front stage. Jworm007
ReplyDeleteI agree with this statement fully. When Jworm077 talks about the first statement in the sense of humans being active and striving for what we believe in feather than being passive and waiting for things to just fall into place, in todays world that is beyond true. People striving for what they want is a common thing we see today unlike just letting things fall wherever they need to go which is what we should do. iCHEER6007
DeleteI agree 100%. I also believe that it varies from person to person on if the "true you" is either your front stage or your backstage. Also in today's world, people striving to be the best is very common. People today do crazy things, just to try to put themselves out their to be successful in life. Miley Cyrus is a great example. She knows people are looking at her thinking to themselves "This girl's nuts." but she also knows that it gets her name out there even more to better her career, whether its a good career or not. BLUELIGHT007
DeleteGoffman idea of how we act is straight on. Life being a stage is also very true. Waiting for things to fall into place would be the right thing to do in the world today but most people like he said in the video, people strive for what they believe in to get what they want when they want it. To most people I think waiting is not an option anymore which, is what I think he is trying to get at in this video. Most people do try to guide and control how people view other individuals when out in public. When people go out in public all they try and do is impress people so they are not judged, but yet being alone they do not care what they look like. When looking good out in public or trying to anyway it is to get the right reaction out of people because it is what we want to hear. iCHEER6007
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with what you said about people in today's society thinking waiting is no longer an option. People are much more assertive and aggressive nowadays when it comes to getting what they want. I think this can be related to America placing a high value on efficiency. We always want things as soon as possible. Hawkward007
DeleteI 100% agree with Goffman's point of view on how we act as a person. Life is like a stage, and the only down time you get from acting, is when your alone. Even when your "back stage" you can see yourself, practicing for when you open the curtain. It's like when you call an employer for the first time. You don't just pick the phone up and call, you recite what you want to say and how you want to say things before hand. In today's society, we are taught at a young age to strive for what you want out of life, and to never give up. Our way of fighting this is by putting a presence on as if we are everything that they need. Nobody likes to see flaws in themselves, but in reality we all have them, we just like to put them "backstage". BLUELIGHT007
ReplyDeleteI like your point that we sometimes rehearse what we are going to say on the phone before we even pick up the phone. This is something that I find myself often doing whether it is a call to a business, school related, or to someone I do not know well. justagirl007
DeleteI agree that being alone is the only chance we get to be "Off Stage". That's only for a short period of time because rehearsal begins during that time for our next performance. Job interviews are perhaps the best performance we ever give, just trying to get our foot in the door and to be on the next stage at work. Wdwfan007
DeleteLife is a stage because once you step on it everybody is looking at you... how you look, how you dress, how you talk, and how you act. Its like doing the assignment and waiting on your grade. Your assignment is getting ready for your audience and your grade is your reassurance to let you know you fit into society and once that's completed you can therefore head back to the backstage. The backstage is your completion. Your all done for the day. You take your mask off, your costume off, kick your feet up, and relax. Reevaluate your day so tomorrow you'll know what to expect. The crew in your backstage is your closest friends and family who excepts you for you 101%. You can look a anyway, act anyway, dress anyway, and be the real you. cancer80-007
ReplyDeleteI like your idea that our family and friends are like our backstage crew. I feel that it is very important to have at least a few close people you can truly open up to. The idea that absolutely no one sees how you truly are “backstage” seems very sad and lonely to me. It is one thing to “put on a show” to impress certain people, but we should never let society make us believe that we have to be viewed a certain way even by the people who love us no matter what.
Delete~QueenofHearts007
I like your idea on regardless people should except you for you the good and the bad the ups and downs. When a individual see you one way and that same individual see your backstage they get confused because they expect to see you that same way all the time. cancer80-007
DeleteI had never thought of life as a stage before hearing about Erving Goffman's theory, but I completely agree with what he is saying and now have a different outlook on people's every day actions. I think people are actors in every social setting and even change how they act in different social settings and around different people. For example, how we act and talk with authoritative figures is much different than the show we put on for peers. We try to give off an impression that is socially acceptable depending on who we are with. Thinking of life as a stage, in my opinion, makes humans seem a little more manipulative that what I had originally thought. We are constantly changing how we act in order to get what we want or to give off a certain impression. I like Goffman's analogy of the front stage and backstage. I agree that there are only a few people who truly know who we are because they see how we act when we are no longer putting on a show for the rest of society. Hawkward007
ReplyDeleteThis short lecture is on Goffman’s dramaturgical analysis. His dramaturgical analysis is the study of social interaction in terms of theatrical performance. According to him, all of life is like a stage. In social settings we’re on our front stage. We feel like actors and try to put our best person out to make people like us and be accepted into our society. We feel like it’s our job to perform well and we try and manipulate those watching to accept us. When we retreat to the backstage we become more of who we really are. It is a place that is closed and hidden from other people and it’s where we let are guard down and practice for our front stage. I thought it was interesting that no one besides ourselves truly knows who we are in the backstage. I never though as my interaction in social settings like performing an act to impress others, but now I can totally see it. I wonder if we could all see into each other’s back stages if we would no longer feel the need to impress out on the front stage. justagirl007
ReplyDeleteI agree, we are just actors trying to get people to like us and so we manipulate them to get them to like us. This is accomplished through falling in to peer pressure and trying to impress our family. I also found it interesting, that no one besides ourselves truly knows who we are back stage. - Jazzdk -007
DeleteI agree with Goffman's ideas, mainly dramaturgical analysis. When we prepare to present ourselves to the public we take a shower, do our hair, and brush our teeth. We do this so when we go out and do what we need to do for the day our presentation of self looks good. Our lives are just a big stage as Goffman said, I see it especially when meeting people for the first time whether at work, a gathering, or an interview. At each of these instances we exaggerate the truth and manipulate the people around us to get where we want our performance to end, be it getting a job from an interview or making friends at a gathering. Then “back stage” we have people that we can reveal our true selves and act the way we want. These people you trust more than others, which is why you don’t have to put a performance on for them. -Jazzdk -007
ReplyDeleteI also agree with you. After reading your response I feel as if we perform for those people that we do not trust wholeheartedly. But for the people we are really close to we do not need to perform, we can be our true selves. Thanks for pointing that out.
DeleteLucidity007
Although many people have never heard of Goffman’s “stage” idea, it is definitely put into practice by every person, every day. From the time we learn to walk, we are taught that certain behaviors are acceptable in certain places. Even if unconsciously, this idea is present in every job interview, first day of school, teenage girl afraid to “be herself” with her first crush, etc. This relates with the psychology that humans have an innate need to be liked. It also relates with the sociology of roles and status. Like the narrator said, we use our behavior to manipulate people. We alter our behavior for every circumstance to offer what we believe to be the desired person in order to promote ourselves to the status and roles we want. I completely agree with the dramaturgical outlook, because it is basic human nature to change our behavior to make the right impression for the situation. Everyone knows that presentation is everything.
ReplyDelete~QueenofHearts007
I agree with you and Goffman for the most part. The way we act with certain behaviors in certain situations that is true. We also give a certain presentation to try and impress those that we want to impress. I don't agree with the presentation is everything though, just because there have been many situations where even though there was an intended presentation that didn't necessarily go the way you wanted, the person you wanted to impress sometimes can overlook that - Murse007
DeleteI think Goffman is pretty cool. I agree with him 100%. Life really is a "stage." We as humans are very knowledgeable and active. As for devising our own conduct I also agree and I would probably credit ourselves as an individual even more than Goffman because I don't think anyone influences the way we act, we choose to. Even if someone is being mean or annoying to you, you still as an individual choose to react a certain way. We also guide and control how others see us by the way we dress and present ourselves to others. No one likes to be the odd one out or made fun of. Also we should be different in social settings than when we are at home. That just goes along with that there is a right time and right place for everything. I'm not going to go to church and use profanity or walk around in my underwear, even though that is something I would do in the comfort of my own home. Just using an example :).
ReplyDelete^^^This is my post, forgot to tag my name---Murse007
DeleteI would disagree a little with your post. I feel that individuals are influenced by others around them. How many time have you hung around with someone to have them change when a different person with different views comes into the mix. We are a product of our society and culture.
DeleteRedwings77
I also disagree with your post just a little bit. I don't think we really have complete control over how we act. I feel like a lot of the time the people in our lives are influencing us, even if they don't know it, to act, dress, and look a certain way. Because of who they are, we feel like we need to be like them so that we can fit in. -BeautifullyBroken007
DeleteLife is defiantly a stage in our country. Goffman completely described what goes on in the mind of most people preparing to face the day in our society. Very few people are comfortable enough to be themselves all the time. They are probably the happiest people due to their candid self honesty, unfortunately they are all so labeled with negative stereotypes. Most people who play the game of hiding behind the persona of who they are not, pick on the one's who do not hide. We all have our different circles of comfortably, family, friends, school and work. The rehearsed performance is presented to whichever audience is present. Disaster can occur when multiple mixed audiences are in front of us. When the school and family audience worlds collide, which performance do we display? Public speaking is the number one fear for most people, yet impression management comes very natural to us because we practice it all the time. We might even be hiding behind these Blogs. They seem to be a form of an anonymous stage. Wdwfan007
ReplyDeleteI believe that life is indeed a stage! People put their act on during the front stage while people are watching, and these people are themselves once the curtains close. I agree that people put up a different acts from person to person. No matter how many times people are told to be themselves, it just doesn’t change the scene of the front stage. Jworm007
DeleteYou said, "Most people who play the game of hiding behind the persona of who they are not, pick on the one's who do not hide." This really stuck out to me. I think that people who act differently than the "norm" but are just being themselves, do get ridiculed. For a country that claims to value self-expression and individualism, this behavior of others making fun of the different ones seems odd. The majority of the people in our country are not trying to be themselves, they are trying to be like everyone else to become accepted by those around them. - turtle007
DeleteGoffman's concept of dramaturgy is very interesting to me. I think that most people (once they reach a certain age) want to guide and control how others see them. This is why we chose a certain look for ourselves, buy material objects, and act a certain way. I can admit that I do this every single day. I like to get ready and do my hair, put make on, and wear nicer clothes if I am going out in public to do something. If I just go somewhere right when I get out of bed, I feel uncomfortable and do not want people to even look at me.
ReplyDeleteAnother very interesting concept of this, is the idea of a front stage and back stage in each of our lives. Honestly, if someone said that they do not think that this applies to them then I would think they were lying. We all act differently when we are alone than we do if we were shopping, at church, or watching a baseball game.
The comment in this video that really got me thinking was when the speaker started questioning whether or not anyone in our lives truly knows who we are. Some people probably do not even believe that they truly know themselves. I do not think I completely know who I am yet so I obviously do not think anyone truly knows me, not even my parents or best friends. Perhaps when I get married someday and start a family, my husband and children will know me just as well as I know myself.
- turtle007
I think it is pretty cool how Goffman viewed humans and how life is a stage. I think that he was totally right in the way that we don't just sit around and wait for change but that we look for ways to make the change. His study of social interaction shows us how one person can make a change say in how they dress, which at the time might not be socially acceptable within their peer group, will start to become more acceptable as time goes by. The longer the way they dress the more the peers will start to dress the same.
ReplyDeleteRedwings77
I agree with what you are saying to a degree about the idea that peers will start to dress the same. I see people everyday who dress differently according to their personal preference and most people won't accept them for it. If its to drastic from what most of society is used to, they will become an outcast.
DeleteLake3194
This clip caught my attention right away. I found the illustration about people being on stage especially intriguing. Everybody likes to look nice in front of people they don’t know. People want to make good first impressions and want people to like them immediately. In order to do this people go “back stage” and get ready to view people in public “front stage” by putting on the clothes that are trending right now and make sure they have the “it” phone. Its like getting ready for an interview, you dress right, prepare for the questions that you will be asked and make sure you have the right answers. You are almost putting on this façade that you act like this person all the time. If you think about your first day of school, you remember everyone dressing nicely and being polite but buy the second week of school everyone has gone back there normal way of dressing and acting. I think Goffman hit the nail on the head with this theory.
ReplyDeleteLake3194 007
People create and id for themselves not even realizing it. Like a job interview, people are looking into a mirror and practicing their smile and facial expressions. I agree that the first day of school, students would dress nicely and be nice. I remember doing this myself going into high school and college.
DeleteTenshi 007
I agree with your comment, first impressions are the most valuable and many times we do not get a second chance to make up first impressions. Since we are interacting using so many forms of communication we have a very short window of opportunity to make real friends or impress our superiors making sure we care for our “self”.
DeleteElise007
I agree that people put on an act when they are in public. I can think of a teenaged female wanting to be popular. She wants everybody to like her and to receive all the attention from the boys. She has to be the best dressed, have the best personality, and have good grades. In public, she may seem to care what other girls are saying, but then talks behind their back. This doesn’t just apply to the ladies, men do the same thing. I can remember a friend being nice to the more socially awkward students and turn around to some of the more popular students, and begin making fun of the kids he had just been nice to. I feel that most of us are on a stage, but there are people who are themselves. They don’t try and hide behind a character created for the play that society lives in. Walmart would be one set destination where people come in their pajamas, have not brushed their teeth, or even have showered. Those people would do their grocery shopping and not care what other people think. I believe there is a website for the people who are themselves and don’t care what society has to say. You can check them out at http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/
ReplyDeleteTenshi 007
I agree, I feel like we are trained and know how we're supposed to act, so a lot of times we do it just because we know that's what will make people like us and will make us a "good person." We know what is socially acceptable and expected of our behavior and actions and I think when we abide by those expectations we're just doing it because we know we should in order to fit in.
Delete-macey2013
Here's the thing, though - why do the people on that website not seem to care about the impression made on others? Perhaps it's the viewer who's saying that they don't care, while this might not be true at all for the people being photographed. It's possible that they're intentionally challenging the norms of "grocery shopper" when they go out.
Delete- manatee007
I can see and understand every aspect of Goffman's theory of dramaturgy and I would have to agree with him for the most part that life is a stage, so to speak. I believe that we as humans constantly feel like we have to put up a certain front or act depending on the situation we're in on the "front stage." By watching other people we learn how to "act" in every situation as well as how to act if we want to fit in with a certain group. I think this is completely natural and part of human nature to adapt your act to who you're with and where you are as well as what you're doing. I also agree that because of the "backstage" when we're alone, a lot of times it is hard for people to see who we really are unless they're so close to you they can be part of your backstage where you can just relax and take off your mask.
ReplyDelete-macey2013
Until a couple days ago I had seen the world I interact in as a set of requirements I am expected to fulfill. As Goffman’s theory considers me an actor, I must say that on center stage my performance has been regulated by a set of expectations determined by the people that surround me and I directly interact with. Whether it is a casual or formal contest I know my actions must be controlled and measured to maintain a good impression in other’s minds as I “present [my] Self”. Depending of the occasion, I also find myself applying “impression management” while I prepare myself to be reserved in front of my superiors or people I do not know very well. But after all I believe I do project myself as I truly am except for the jokes I crack once in a while. But I must say that I had come across individuals who had thrown me off base with their great fake performance. This is my impression but the lecture video describes a very similar concept.
ReplyDeleteElise007
I completely agree with this. I have also noticed how my actions in certain environments have to be measured and maintained. With certain people and groups you have to act a certain way or else you get looked at as weird. While some people don’t think that is a big deal, it can be crucial when trying to make new friends. There is a time and a place for everything, even how you act. –lordSWOLEdemort007
DeleteI am very similar. When I first meet people I try to make myself not stick out as much as possible, but once I know someone you can hardly get me to shut up. I agree also with being throne by people who act "fake." It's hard to describe in words how someone can act "fake" without generalizing everyone into this category, but most real people can spot when someone is being fake right off.
DeleteOpenmind 007
Goffman's theory is a very simple way of looking at the symbolic-interactionist approach to social interaction. Although that isn't entirely bad, I think its focus is too narrow. My major issue with his approach is that it seems to give too much agency to individuals when they interact. While I definitely agree that we will put on different "masks" depending on who we are speaking to and what our goals are, we also need to consider the role that social structure plays in constructing the environment in which we interact, as well as whether the impressions we attempt to put on are accepted by the "audience" observing us. To better explain what I'm trying to say, consider the setting of being pulled over by a white police officer. Imagine the same scene taking place in a predominantly white suburb and a predominantly black inner-city environment. For both people participating in the performance, there are status and role sets projected onto each other. In a suburban environment, one would probably expect the roles of a white police officer to take on a more positive tone than in an inner-city neighborhood. What I'm trying to say is that there are external forces that will always impose themselves on conversations, guiding us into certain narrowed patterns of behavior.
ReplyDelete- manatee007
I find Goffman’s theory to be very interesting. I would agree with most if not all of the theory. I just think however that a lot of what is stated is just a statement of the obvious. Most of the five points in the beginning were all just real statements that most humans would agree to be true, Goffman just got lucky enough to summarize it all together. The application to the front and back stage is an interesting concept in itself. It almost sounds like it is saying that all people are just fake and never themselves around people where as I feel like people can be more real around a certain, select group of friends and not just one or two people in your life. I am not fond of the word usage of manipulation. It has a kind of negative connotation to it and sounds like everyone’s lives are just a big act to try and please as many people as you can. While some people think the goal of life is to get as many people as you can to like you, I believe that there are still some people that couldn’t care less about what people think about them and will just act normal (or so it may seem). –lordSWOLEdemort007
ReplyDeleteI found Erving Goffman's theory of dramaturgical analysis to be spot on. Really though, how many people do you feel like you can truly be yourself around? As human beings, we are constantly pressured by our friends, family, and the media to act a certain way even if they don't know they're influencing us in this way. We are pressured to go along with what society says we should be. This is an example of us on our "front stage." Depending on where you are, you feel the need to act a certain way, there is no denying that. Goffman was completely right when he said life is a stage. Every day we prepare for our "performance" by taking a shower, doing our hair, picking out an outfit. But, behind closed doors, we can be whoever we REALLY want to be because no one is there to make us feel like we need to be something. We can be what/who we want to be. -BeautifullyBroken007
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, after listening to the video I was really thinking about who I am truly myself around. Honestly, its only a handful of people! I think his front stage and back stage approach is exactly right, along with everything in between! The way society expects us to be really does play a part of how we are even if someone wants to admit it or not!! alo007
DeleteIsnt it interesting to see an explanation of why we act like we do? I think this is a great metaphor and way to remember society and our culture is full of influences of how we are supposed to look or act, and in a constant battle to be seen as socially acceptable.
DeleteJb047d007
I completely agree with Erving Goffman’s Dramaturgical Approach. He states that life is basically a stage, this is true, in my opinion. I agree with this because he says that humans devise their own conduct. This is true we all are control of ourselves, as individuals. We do guide and control how other people see us. Society has such an impact on how our presentation is. We, as humans, are like actors we put our best characters presentable for other people to be accepted into society. In that way we are on stage. Backstage, according to Goffman’s Theory, is us away from society and its when we let our guard down we act how we are comfortable with. In this place it is our true self, not one person knows how we truly are! Thinking of this really is surprising because its so true! We act different in public vs how we do when we are by ourselves.. thinking deep into this approach makes me rethink my “stage”. alo007
ReplyDeletePersonally I agree with Goffman. Everyone is on a stage and ultimately life is a play. We all have roles and statuses that we act out. I think everyone has an ideal person that they either want to be or do not want to be and this shapes our "character", so to speak. When people are around we like to put on a show. But when no one is present I think most, if not all, people change even if its a little bit. Most people behave the way they feel society expects them to behave. And with different settings or "backgrounds", our play tends to change.
ReplyDeleteLucidity007
I agree with Goffman's beliefs. The idea of preservation of self is dead on. I can remember not wanting to go to school if I didn't have on the right clothes or if I had a huge blemish on my face. I wanted people to think I was this beautiful person inside and out.
ReplyDeleteThere is definitely a difference between the role I play in sociology class and the role I play at home. There is also a completely different role I would play when out with my friends in a social setting. While I believe that my husband and parents know me well, I do not think that they know my "backstage personality" So I do believe no one can truly get to know you.
Lowis Layne 007
I really enjoyed how Goffman made a way of explaining why we tend to choose general patterns of behavior that are influenced by our culture and society. Theatrical performance is a great metaphor to remember we have our times we are constantly in public view and times when we can let our guard down and be ourselves without fearing judgement or criticism. We all have a "presentation of self" that we present as our culture shapes what is socially acceptable. It is our human nature to want to be accepted and even approved of by others in our culture, and we work hard to conform ourselves to what our society and culture perceives as socially accepted or morally right or just. In another culture, those views and norms or what is perceived as impression management are much different.
ReplyDeleteJb047d007
This video was very interesting. This video really made a lot of sense to me. My grandma was a special ed teacher for thirty eight years and told me stories about kids that just could not learn in the classroom. I’m not sure if she has ever heard of this sociologist, but her view of the world being a stage is virtually the same. She would tell me that once she took the kids out of the class room setting that were having trouble with behavior problem it almost completely changed the kids. They would actually sit and learn when they didn’t have anyone to entertain other students. The way Goffman put it was spot on. A lot of people put up a front in order to impress others, but once they are by themselves they can be completely different individuals. This video really solidified the view my grandma had toward kids. That everyone was capable of learning with the right environment.
ReplyDeleteOpenmind 007