SOC250
Weekly Blog 2
“All the world’s a stage, And all
the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts” By William Shakespeare.
I really like the ideas that were
discussed in this week’s lecture, and the text we read “Performances” by Erving
Goffman. The above quote from Shakespeare’s play As You Like It, appeared in the lecture, and is one of my all-time favourites
sayings as the idea that we are all part of a larger performance and play various
roles is quite intriguing.
In his text, Goffman talks about
what he calls the ‘front’, and I found the concept of acting a certain way for
a certain audience fascinating. The idea that the ‘setting’, which includes
things like props, layout, furniture and so on, stays in the same place and so
the individual can only perform when they are at this place and stop performing
when they leave (Goffman 1971). This makes me think about work, while there we
all ‘perform’ different roles for the audience.
A person is employed to do a particular job for money and there are
expectations about how you should present yourself and ‘perform’ within
the workplace. While at work you may refrain from swearing, wear appropriate
clothing suitable for your job and ensure your workstation is tidy and so on.
These are all things that you would ‘perform’ while at work, which give your
colleagues the idea that this is who you are, yet once you leave work you can
to be yourself again, you may swear (if you want to), wear whatever you like
and live in a bedroom where you can’t see the floor, as long as come Monday
morning you are back to work performing your role on the stage in the workplace
along with everyone else.
- · Goffman, Erving 1971, “Performances” The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life, Hamondsworth, Penguin, accessed 23 August 2012, University of Wollongong Library e-reading.
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· Whelan, A 2012, “Dramaturgy”, lecture notes, accessed 28/8/12, Blogger.com
This particular blog is well addressed in connection to the reading “Performances, The Presentation of Self in everyday life” for the blog is laid back which in turn connects to the reader for it creates an atmosphere that anyone is welcome to read this particular blog. It begins with a quote and then addresses why the topic has taken an influence upon the individual writing the blog. I like how the writer of the blog has detailed why they have chosen to include this particular quote at the beginning of the blog post which further connects to a love of Shakespeare. I like this blog because the writer has given their own opinions and feelings about the topics being discussed which connects the reader to the owner of the blog. The linking of setting to the workplace is beneficial for it demonstrates an example and understanding that everyone can link to, this is also the case when the same example is addressed but in the aspect of the school environment. Each individual understands the behaviour they must address once in the classroom. They must listen to the teacher, give respect to others and are aware that they are there to learn. Once they have left the classroom, their demeanour may change to fit the environment that they are in, for example, the playground. The fact of the matter is that you act this way to perform to the social standards and subconscious guidelines that are in place in society. This is a great post and understanding for it allows the reader to use their own personal experiences to understand the concept at hand.
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