Sociologist Erving Goffman developed the concept of
dramaturgy, the idea that life is like a never-ending play in which people are
actors. Goffman believed that when we are born, we are thrust onto a stage called everyday life,
and that our socialization consists of learning how to play our assigned roles from other
people. We enact our roles in the company of others, who are in turn enacting their roles in
interaction with us. He believed that whatever we do, we are playing out some role on the stage
of life.
Goffman distinguished between front stages and back stages. During our everyday life,
we spend most of our lives on the front stage, where we get to deliver our lines and perform. A
wedding is a front stage. A classroom lectern is a front stage. A dinner table can be a front
stage. Almost any place where we act in front of others is a front stage. Sometimes we are
allowed to retreat to the back stages of life. In these private areas, we don’t have to act. We
can be our real selves. We can also practice and prepare for our return to the front stage.
Impression Management
Goffman coined the term impression management to refer to our desire to
manipulate others’ impressions of us on the front stage. According to Goffman, we use various
mechanisms, called sign vehicles, to present ourselves to others. The most
commonly employed sign vehicles are the following:
- Social setting
- Appearance
- Manner of interacting
Social Setting
The social setting is the physical place where interaction occurs. It could be a
doctor’s examination room, a hallway, someone’s home, or a professor’s office. How we arrange
our spaces, and what we put in them, conveys a lot of information about us. A person who lives
in a huge home with security guards, attack dogs, and motion detectors conveys the message
that he or she is very important, wealthy, and powerful, and probably that uninvited visitors
should stay away. On the other hand, the owner of a house with no fence, lots of lights, and a
welcome mat would seem much more inviting but perhaps not as rich or powerful.
How we decorate our settings, or what props we use, also gives clues to
how we want people to think of us. A businesswoman with a photo of her family on her desk
communicates that things outside of work are important in her life. When a professor displays
her degrees and certificates on the wall of her office, she communicates that she wants to be
viewed as a credible authority in her chosen field. When people decorate offices, hang
pictures in clinics, or display artwork in their homes, they are using props to convey
information about how they want others to see them.
Appearance
Our appearance also speaks volumes about us. People’s first impressions are based
almost exclusively on appearance.
