Identity the Symbolic Interactionist Goffman (1959) Views

Identity

The symbolic interactionist Goffman (1959) views identity in much the same way as behavioral psychologists viewed personality: personal identity is dependent on: (1) the audience (environment), and (2) the basic motives of the "performer." Goffman uses a metaphor for how one presents himself in everyday life as a sort of an actor who can be "sincere" in that they believe in the impressions their performances elicit, or "cynical" in that they're not concerned with these impressions. So Goffman uses terms like the "setting," the "front," the "manner," etc. To describe how one's identity is more or less molded by one's surroundings and one's intent (to a lesser extent as this itself is molded by the surroundings). Thus, intentions can sometimes result in a difference between presentation and setting, self-presentations may not always appear fixed, and we learn to be actors at a young age.

For Marcuse (1964) autonomy of the self is restricted by the "apparatus" of Western economic philosophies. In effect the capitalism of Western societies alienates people, forces workers to become functional objects so that they see themselves as actual extensions of the goods and services that they produce or purchase. Capitalism actually limits intellectual and personal freedom in a society. All human needs are preconditioned, so Marcuse views identity is even more flexible than Goffman. The person is nothing but a "slave" to society. Marcuse does mention that there are "true" needs, but these seem to be the need to be a follower as opposed to being an autonomous creature that can decide for itself.

Hall (1996) concentrates on the importance of language and culture in shaping identity. Unlike Goffman and Marcuse he does not view identity as a finished product as much as he views it as something that is molded by historical events and the culture of the person. Of course is a major concentration is on the black experience; however, it is clear that he views identity or "the self" is a very fluid concept that is shaped by language, history, and culture. Hall also assigns a little more importance to the individual's autonomy in that the individual can, with knowledge, create their own identity or mold it.

Goffman's approach to identity is fairly structuralist with identity being formed as a response to the environment. There is some fluidity to identity but in general for Goffman identity is fixed based on the setting and the intent of the person. We do have some capacity to shape our identity depending on our wants and needs. There has been research in the past that indicates the behavior is influenced heavily by the setting; however, this approach ignores autonomy and issues like self-actualization.