The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life by Erving Goffman

In his book, The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life, Goffman (1959) focuses on the self as a staged production in which people actively present themselves to different audiences one encounters. To bolster his conceptualization, Goffman used an interesting metaphor of “all the world’s a stage” (1959, 254). This, he terms as a “dramaturgical approach” (Goffman 1959, 240) in which an actor puts on a show for others; drawing analogies between human behaviors and the theater. Goffman (1959) likens the individual to an actor on stage performing for and with other individuals involved in the situation. Three types of space exist for the actor to perform on, to enact the self, and to interact with others: the front stage, the backstage, the outer region. Goffman (1959) utilizes specific dramaturgical terms such as performance, teams, front and back regions, sign-vehicles, and highlights the process of dramatic realization. These terms will be discussed in the following sections.

While stigma may not necessarily be a cause of a person’s mental disorder, it can certainly contribute to the complication and perpetuation of their illness. The effect of stigma goes well beyond just the patient and provides a commentary on society’s overall level of intolerance of those who are considered different from the majority. By recognizing the level of stigma that exists, perhaps we can alter that behavior and gravitate towards a more productive attitude towards mental illness.

The word itself, used when branding lower class Ancient Greek citizens (around 500 BC) after they’d committed a crime, hasn’t altered in meaning. Although society might not physically give them a symbol of their sin, group mentality ensures those victimized a life full of judgement. The consequences of stigmatization against those with metal incapacities are large and often seen as a whole other weakness altogether. These pre-disposed judgments of others, thrust upon those with mental illness, can easily undermine and overpower the life goals and achievements through reduced participation in society’s staple components (education opportunities, employment, and even relationships with others) (Source D). The worldwide goal of eliminating stigma's effects on people labeled “mentally ill” has become a major public health priority over the past ten years via nationwide campaigns. Attempts to change public stigma have been achieved in three ways- protest, education, and direct contact with those usually targeted (Source E). The protest aspect plays on the idea of a public shaming by telling the public to suppress the thoughts and let go of previous inhibitions. The educational aspect of spreading awareness seeks to decrease stigmatizing myths of mental illness by contrasting them with the cold hard facts. Lastly, direct contact tries to erase the prejudice and discrimination of mental illness through interactions between the “public” and people in recovery, showing them how alike we are. The overall hope is that if progressive people such as scientists, public speakers, and even well-known psychiatrists

Erving Goffman was born on the 11th June 1922 in Mannville, Canada. In 1939, Goffman enrolled at the University of Manitoba where he pursued an undergraduate degree in chemistry; however he then took an interest for sociology while working temporarily at the National Film Board in Ottawa. This was the motivation that he then needed to go on and enrol at the University of Toronto where he studied anthropology and sociology, then after graduating with a degree he began a masters in sociology at the University of Chicago, which was one of the centres’ of sociological research in the United States. In the decade from 1959-1969

Associating with the self-fulfilling prophecy, master status, and symbolic interactionism, Howard Becker’s labeling theory, views deviance as not an innate act, but rather, elects to target society impulse to engage in stigmatization (Cartwright, 2011). In this paper, I will discuss the implications of labeling specifically in the articles “The Saints and the Roughnecks” by William Chambliss and “On Being Sane In Insane Places” by David Rosenhan. Additionally, I will be discussing the far-reaching effects of negative labeling an individual, with respect to concepts such as labeling theory, the self-fulfilling prophecy, and master status.

Stigma is something most people can relate to. It is the feeling of unacceptance and disapproval. Goffman’s theory of social stigma describes stigma as “an attribute, behavior, or reputation that is socially discrediting”. Stigma impacts those who are seen as deviant in many ways, they may have to change the way the express themselves in public and even in private. In a world where diversity is a common goal there is much stigma attached to those who do not support it. A group against the social norm of racial diversity, is in other words, deviant! Pete Simi and Robert Futrell’s article, “Negotiating White Power Activist Stigma”, discusses a groups way of avoiding stigma through concealment. A specific group comes to mind when one thinks of white supremacist, “one of the most radical, deviant, and stigmatized social movements- The U.S. white power movement (WPN)” (Futrell and Simi).

This article was publish in the Business section of The Atlantic as this is an economic issue. Pinsker wanted to appeal to people who are of working status and who don’t really have an understanding of the vast effects of being labeled because of race, social status, and education. Because this magazine is also based in Washington D.C, many political figures could also be the intended audiences for this

All around us we see people who society perceives as being“different” from everybody else. Examples of these type of people are pedophiles, murderers and burglars. What all these people have in common is they have a deviant identity. These groups of people have been caught in a deviant act, and through a process have been labeled with a deviant identity (alder 2015.) But how does a deviant identity come to existence? To understand deviant identity development, we must look at the concepts of seven stages of deviant identity development , excuses, techniques of neutralization, stigma management, deviant career. Examples that will help explain these concepts are the class readings and the case of Jerry Sandusky.

In the beginning of chapter two Goffman describes how there is inconsistency between virtual identity and social identity between individuals, and how those individuals are shamed. Throughout chapter two of this book, Goffman has eight different subtopics that label and explains information control and personal identity. Under Social Information, Goffman discusses the importance of how different symbols mean different things. For example in the book a wedding ring typically means one is married, this symbol can show prestige or even honor in society. Goffman describes how status symbol is more so prestige symbol because it draws more attention to

This paper will be a critique of Erving Goffman’s theory of Stigma. Goffman provides a very powerful analysis of motivation in everyday social interactions. He implements a strong emphasis on the idealized forms of behavior and mannerisms of the pressures on individuals to conform to the given societal expectations. (what does Goffman stigma tell us?) This paper will further offer an exploration of Goffman 's ideas and will identify both strengths and weaknesses within Goffman 's theory of stigma. To begin, this paper will offer a summary of the theory. Next, a critique examining stigma and comparing it to many related processes. To continue, I will be discussing the lack of attention Goffman gives to the broader, social- structural concerns that lead to stigmatization. To conclude, this paper will recognize the great work his theory has provided for understanding deviancy.

Erving Goffman maintained that negative labels are often stigmatizing. He believed that stigmas result in a “spoiled identity.” Goffman coined the term stigma to describe the labels society uses to devalue members of certain social groups (pg. 107). He identified three categories or types of stigmas: abominations of the body, blemishes of individual character, and tribal. When a person became aware of a certain stigma they had been labeled to, Goffman noted three ways to manage it: hide the stigma, distance themselves from the stigma or try to correct it, and embrace or accept the stigma. The movie Dallas Buyers Club offers a chance to see several stigmas brought to light, and the way that each was handled. For instance there are examples of HIV/AIDS, homosexuality, feminism, and criminal activity that are prevalent and shape the way the movie is organized.

Goffman felt that there was already good work done on the topic of stigma. However, he wanted to discuss the previous works and his own ideas regarding stigma. Writing Stigma Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity provided him a place to discuss his ideas regarding prior work on stigma, and to give his spin on it.

A Critical Review of Erving Goffman’s Stigma In his preface Goffman states his intentions to use ‘popular work’ on stigma as a basis for his own review and expansion within his preoccupation of ‘social information,’ the information an individual directly conveys about himself. The book opens with a letter to a “lonelyhearts” column from a girl born without a nose which concludes ‘Ought I commit suicide?’ This sets the tone for a book which aims to be a comprehensive and illuminating excursion into the situation of persons who are unable to conform to standards that society calls “normal.”

Goffman looks at variety of strategies when it comes to stigmatized individuals, especially ones that deal with rejection from others. Stigma: Notes on the Management of a Spoiled Identity was published in 1963 and in the first chapter the book, Goffman determines the three types of stigma; stigma of character traits, physical stigma, and stigma of group identity. Stigma of character traits are “blemishes of individual character perceived as weak will, domineering, or unnatural passions, treacherous and rigid beliefs, and dishonesty, these being inferred from a known record of, for example, mental disorder, imprisonment, addiction, alcoholism, homosexuality, unemployment, suicidal attempts, and radical political behavior” (Goffman, 1963). Physical stigma is the deformities of the body, whereas the stigma of group identity is a stigma that derives from a particular race, nation and/or religion. These three types of stigma have one thing in common, their sociological features: “an individual who might have been received in normal social

Furthermore, Goffman introduces the reader to two main groups of characters in his logic: the “normal” and the stigmatized and classifies the stigmatized again into the discredited and the discreditable. The discredited show an obvious discrepancy between their actual and their virtual social identity, while the discreditable do not immediately show their differentness. Additionally, the reader gets introduced to the terms (1) social information, (2) symbols, (3) status symbols and (4) stigma symbols