Sociological Dramaturgy

Our discussion on Thursday was one of my favorites from the class. Discussing how we change our language for different situations fascinates me because in this hyperindividualistic culture, people can't stand to think that they aren't themselves at all times. But we all do it.

Sociologist Erving Goffman called this "sociological dramaturgy." He proposed that we have two selfs, the front-stage self and the backstage self. Front-stage self is the "nice face" we put on for coworkers, our boss, neighbors, and the like. The backstage self is how we act at home when around only intimate friends and family. Some people call this "being fake," but with it being completely unavoidable, I'm not sure if that matters.