Sumblog#9 Erving Goffman

     While reading our assignment Presentation of Self, I couldn't help but think of all the things in our society that accentuate presentation.
     I thought about smart phones and how they're used as status symbols. I thought about Facebook and how it is used to formulate a persona (real or not). And I thought about all kinds of other stuff in general that people don't need, but acquire simply to indentify themselves. These are the "props" Goffman was referring to. They set the stage for our performance.
     The performance is us trying to appear to live up to all the many social norms we are faced with. It is the motion of our daily lives, the choices and actions we make. It is why we act one way in front of our friends and a different way in front our parents. As Goffman says: "Because these standards [social] are so numerous and so pervasive, ...individuals are concerned not with the moral issue of realizing these standards, but with the amoral issue of engineering a convincing impression that these standards are being realized". So, generally speaking, we know what the social standards are, and we will try to meet them - if we can pull off the performance. (Some days the audience is unfriendly).  
      The character aspect of Goffman's theory is what the performance creates. Whether the character is indeed a correct reflection of self is questionable. Regardless, our performance manufactures our character in the eyes of the generalized other. We may be able to internally see (backstage) whether our public persona is accurate or not, but stage front, the show must go on. If the public persona we are crafting meets with our approval, the show is a success. If the generalized other is assigning traits to us that we don't like, then we usually change the script and scenery (props). Very seldom do we change the wizard behind the curtain, our true character.

             http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBOvOatPqnY
       I've included this song by Queen because #1. Freddy Mercury was a musical god, and #2. it perfectly exemplifies life as theater. Everybody loves a good show.