Goffman's Presentation of Self in Everyday Life: A Review

Introduction: The Art of Making Impressions

What kind of impression does a person make upon others? Is it intentional? Is it natural? Is it engineered for the benefit of those who might be watching? Those are the salient questions that Erving Goffman's book asks and answers, and they matter because every day, in numerous situations, individuals are making impressions on others — good impressions, neutral impressions, and unfortunately, bad ones too.

The impressions that others receive are often created artificially, according to Goffman's Introduction. The girl who gets calls in the dorm loves the fact that people hear her name and form the impression she is very popular, even though she may not be popular at all. This is an "impression given off" (Goffman, 1959, p. 4). Most readers will have done this at one time or another, which gives the observation an immediate, recognizable humor.

Many of Goffman's situations are perceptive to the point of being memorable. When observing a person in a new setting, one can assume that person will present himself "in a light that is favorable to him"; yet those observing are likely dividing what they see in two. One part relates to what he says and does, and the other stems from the expressions he gives off, of which he has "little concern or control" (Goffman, p. 7). It is also a two-way street: people observing what an individual projects "will themselves effectively project a definition" of what they are seeing — like a mirror — and Goffman notes that all of this happens without conscious deliberation (p. 9).

Roles, Teams, and Reciprocal Dependence

In Chapter II, the roles people play come under examination. The games people play in body language and mannerisms take on greater meaning when viewed through Goffman's analytical lens. Consider a familiar scene: a husband and wife, or a couple in a long-term relationship, go out with new friends. She "may demonstrate more respectful subordination" to him than she shows when they are alone or "with old friends" (pp. 78–79). Meeting new people typically calls for one's best behavior — this is hardly surprising — but Goffman's deeper point is that when both members of a team play their roles, they send a message that the new audience will come to expect.

This is "team performance," and each member of the team holds the power to ruin the show or keep it on track through his or her behavior. This mutual vulnerability is what Goffman calls the "bond of reciprocal dependence" (p. 82).

Regions and Regional Behavior

Chapter III, "Regions and Region Behavior," introduces the concept of regions — for example, a cocktail party where several couples gather in subgroups that "constantly shift in size and membership" (p. 107). People talking and responding to others within a region are, in effect, putting on a performance, whether or not they are aware of it. Decorum is the expected polite behavior within a region. Make-work is the performance workers put on when a supervisor comes by — a universal experience and another form of decorum.

Conclusion

Goffman's The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life remains a perceptive and memorable account of the social performances that shape everyday life. By moving from casual impression management to team solidarity and regional behavior, Goffman builds a dramaturgical framework that illuminates the invisible scripts governing ordinary human interaction.

Works Cited

Goffman, Erving. 1959. The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. New York: Doubleday Anchor Books.