The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life

From Freepedia

A book by the sociologist Erving Goffman, published in 1959.

Goffman's seminal book uses the imagery of the theater in order to portray the importance of human – namely, social – action. In the center of the analysis lies the relationship between performance and front stage. Unlike other writers who have used this metaphor, Goffman seems to take all elements of acting into consideration: an actor performs on a setting which is constructed of a stage and a backstage; the props at either setting direct her action; she is being watched by an audience, but at the same time she is an audience for her viewers play.

According to Goffman, the social actor has the ability to choose her stage and props, as well as the costume she would put on in front of a specific audience. The actor's main goal is to keep her coherence, and adjust to the different setting offered her. This is done mainly through interaction with other actors. To a certain extent, this imagery bridges structure and agency, enabling each, and limited by the other.