Erving Goffman

Erving Goffman was a prominent Canadian-American sociologist and writer, born on June 11, 1922, in Mannville, Alberta, Canada, and died on November 19, 1982. Recognized for his distinctive contribution to the analysis of social interaction and the structure of the self, Goffman's influential work focused on the sociology of everyday life, social interaction, and the social construction of self. Educated at the University of Toronto and the University of Chicago, Goffman's doctoral dissertation laid the groundwork for his first major book, "The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life" (1956), where he used the metaphor of theatrical performance to describe the behavior of individuals in social situations. This book introduced his concept of dramaturgical analysis, where he portrayed people as actors on a stage, managing their impressions in various social contexts. Throughout his career, Goffman published several other seminal texts, including "Asylums" (1961), an ethnography of mental institutions that examined the daily lives of patients and staff, and "Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity" (1963), addressing how people manage others' perceptions when they possess a stigma or an attribute that is deeply discrediting. Goffman's work on face-to-face interaction expanded with "Interaction Ritual: Essays on Face-to-Face Behavior" (1967), where he discussed the concept of "face" and the rules that govern interactive social behavior. He was also interested in the concept of frames and framing, which he explored in "Frame Analysis: An Essay on the Organization of Experience" (1974), proposing that people interpret what is happening around them through subjective frameworks. A recipient of the prestigious MacIver Award and the Cooley-Mead Award for his scholarly contributions, Goffman's legacy persists in various fields including sociology, communication studies, and linguistics. His theories continue to enhance our understanding of the complex ways in which individuals negotiate self-presentation and identity in social settings.