Explain the components of dramaturgy according to Erving Goffman. Discuss front and back stage, and impression management. Use an example of classroom behavior to elaborate on each of these concepts.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answer should include information about dramaturgy, which views an individual’s social life as a series of dramatic performances similar to performing on a stage. Using a classroom as an example, the classroom would be seen as a site for the performance of being in the roles of “teacher” and “student.” Continuing with the stage metaphor, human behavior has a “front stage” and a “back stage.” The front stage is where the performance takes place. It is idealized and designed to define the situation for those who are observing it. A good student, for instance, will behave attentively and try to look like a thoughtful student, idealizing the role of what they think a good student looks like. A teacher may also work to appear within their role by the way they speak, the words they use, and the authority and attention they exercise while facilitating discussion in the classroom. The back stage is where people are not performing but may be able to express themselves in ways that they suppress when in “front-stage” mode. After class, for instance, students may act rowdy or talk about how they were not really paying attention but were just hungover during class. If the instructor were to see the back stage behavior that shows a lack of sincerity of the student’s in-class behavior, it may become difficult to convince the professor of their genuineness in the class. Likewise, if an instructor is seen behaving in ways that did not match their “teaching” personality, such as wearing risqué clothing, being drunk, or cussing, and a student witnessed this, it might change the student’s impression. It is important that there is not just one “front” stage and one “back” stage. When a student is out of class, he may be “back stage” as a student, but “front stage” as a fraternity member, for instance. Impression management is the attempt to manage what others see and how they see you by controlling the image you project to them and whether they see front- or back-stage behavior. For instance, a teacher might engage in impression management by spending social time in locations where students are not likely to frequent.