Cynthia Magelitz
Communication 406
2/8/2012
Goffman’s dramaturgical model of social life
Every morning when I get out of bed I pray to God and ask, “God, if You have a will for my life, I need to know what it is and what to do about it.” It is this bloggers belief that each and every individual over the age of seven wants to understand their function in everyday interaction within society whether it be in school, at one’s job, even shopping in the grocery store. Who are we, and what is our role to one another and what significant importance is one’s life to someone else’s and how important is one’s life to society. In Erving Goffman’s book, “The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life,” examines and explains that life is a theater and the human race is its actors playing parts or roles that are or have been formed for one’s life, either by the individual through their own perspective or allowed to be formed through social mediums, such as school, work, a significant other, friends, and media advertising especially through print. How one’s life is shaped depends, this bloggers belief, is how psychologically balanced one is, the level of one’s self esteem and how comfortable one is in their own skin.
Goffman’s dramaturgical model of social life is a study that dates back into ancient history. In the later part of the twelfth century, William Shakespeare presented a play to the masses titled, “As You Like It.” In act II, scene VII, starts with the speech, “all the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players.” Like Shakespeare, Goffman presents to the masses the question of what is an individual’s role and how does each and every individual present themselves in their role as an individual in a functioning society for their audience who happens to be either their boss, co-workers, class mates, friends and so on. But just as important as questioning one’s role in the function of society is also what and who influences the behavior or the role one plays to the masses and do most individuals feel as if they are playing a role up on a stage for all the world to see or just behaving as themselves by using bits and pieces of examples into their lives as how to function as a ‘normal individual’ within society and are individuals easily shaped to what the whole of society feels an individual should perform and behave. It is a very deep subject. Each and everyone is observed. It does not matter what one is doing outside the realm of their own privacy and there is a matter of appearance and manner that has to be socially excepted while “on stage.” Once off stage one is allowed to behave as bizarre as one wants because who is watching other than God. It is this bloggers belief that social acceptance is influenced by the individuals training and their psychological perception that each and every individual is different. If the entire world is a stage and we are but mere players to life than we are looking on a daily basis for affirmation from our peers and will be influenced through this affirmation to perform better within society. Goffman feels that media advertising promotes a better chance for this affirmation in order to boost one’s self esteem and be accepted with the popular consensus of what is an acceptable performance and what is not.
Through Goffman’s dramaturgical model of social life suggest that each and every one of us wears a mask. With each role that one plays there is a new mask to be worn because there is a new role to be played even if one is talented enough to play several roles at one time, i.e.: mother, soccer mom, and a taxi driver all in one hour. Through advertising, especially advertising aimed at women our role is to be sexy, skinny, have great hair, wear fabulous clothes, and be incredibly naive in order to be accepted as what society’s stage would have a woman’s role to be. It is this bloggers opinion that any woman that buys into what advertising says a woman’s role should be is incredibly naïve and lacks self esteem and has allowed themselves to be swayed by popular opinion as to how one should behave, dress, speak, and function in society. So I will continue to be who I am, and I will continue to ask God, whom is my stage director, what His will is for me in my performance of life and not be concerned about Goffmans theory of dramaturgical model of social life and all the psychological pressure it puts on an individual to perform at their best.
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