W 12.1 May 20 (Mon) eunsong kwon

 1. Summary

The theatrical metaphor comes from the Latin word "persona," which means "a mask worn by actors," indicating that people play various roles in front of others. People choose clothes according to the image they want to project, and receive the help of others to perform roles in various social events. If you want to adjust your clothes or complain, you act carefully to keep them out of the public eye. This behavior is called dramaturgie, and it is a sociological perspective that analyzes the context of human behavior. Irving Gopman treats the impression that people give to others as important in frame analysis as they play certain roles. Dramaturgie theory sees that identity is not fixed but constantly recreated through interaction. People manage their behavior to give a specific impression in their daily lives, which is called impression management. Gopman distinguishes between front-stage and back-stage behavior, which shows that people behave differently depending on the situation. This analysis helps individuals understand how to interact with others and express themselves. Irving Goffman identified seven important factors regarding performance. First, belief in the part of acting is important regardless of whether the audience judges or not. Second, the front or 'mask' is a technique that controls how the audience perceives it. Third, dramatic realization explains the aspect of the performer who wants the audience to know. Fourth, idealization avoids confusion by presenting an idealized perspective on the situation. Fifth, expression is controlled to send the right signal and prevent misunderstanding. Sixth, there is a risk of misrepresentation, and the audience judges whether it is true. Seventh, mystery is not to harm the performer by hiding specific information from the audience. Goughman describes three distinct areas: the front stage, the back stage, and the off stage. On the front stage, individuals behave in accordance with social norms in front of an audience. In the backstage, performers can relax and reveal their true selves. Offstage is a place where outsiders do not get involved in the performance, where individual actors meet the audience independently. Borders or boundaries manage who can access the performance by coordinating the movement of individuals between various regions. These factors are important concepts in theatrically analyzing social interactions.

2. Interesting point

Goffman explains in "Self-presentation in Daily Life" that backstage " allows the performer to relax; he can drop his front, give up speaking in his lines, and get out of character." When individuals return to the backstage, they feel a sense of relief in knowing that actions that will not be condoned on the front stage can be expressed freely. In the backstage, actions are to please anyone but not themselves. The backstage is where there are performers but no audience, so the performer can get out of character without having to worry about disturbing the performance. 

I originally thought that the function of the backstage was a space where everything for the performance was done, that is, a space that only worked with equipment. However, reading Goffman's argument, I changed my opinion that the backstage should be a more essential and well-equipped space in that the performers are not only officially prepared, but also a space where they can relax and recharge mentally.

3. Question

Goffman argued that the backstage is a place where performers can escape from a state of tension and fully reveal their appearance. And the backstage is also a space where all preparations are made for the performance to proceed normally. In addition to these functions, what other functions are there?

In order to become a backstage that inspires more positive energy to performers, how would it be better to have a space in place?