[W12.1] Dramaturgy(sociology) - Shim ChaeYeon(심채연)

1) Summary

Dramaturgy is a micro-social perspective that analyzes social interactions through theatrical metaphors. This perspective was first presented by Erving Goffman, who understands and explains human behavior in everyday life similar to plays. Goffman sees that people express themselves like actors on stage, and explains that this expression can be divided into 'front steps' in front of the audience (other people who are socially interacting) and 'back steps' that do not.

The main concepts of dramaturgie are actors and audiences, front and back steps, and expressiveness and impression management. Goffman saw that the goal of people's self-expression is to get a positive response from the audience.

The elements of dramaturgy vary, including the front view, the specific image you want to show the audience, the dramatic realization that emphasizes the appearance you want to show the audience, the expressive control that suppresses misleading signals, and mystification.

Dramaturgie can also be applied in technological contexts, such as social media, in modern society. Social media users express themselves as specific images, and followers observe and evaluate these expressions. In this process, users manage their images, and followers act as audiences.

Goffman's dramaturgie theory provides an important tool for understanding the complexity and multifacetedness of human behavior. It allows people to deeply analyze the process of expressing themselves and creating the desired impression in their interactions with others.

2) Something interesting or new that I learned

I think the concept of dramaturgie itself is very interesting. It similars with Carl Jung's concept of persona that the world is a play, and that individuals act differently in front of different audiences and play different roles, and that they choose an outfit that matches the image they want to project. In my childhood, I felt that my behavior and speech changed depending on people, and I wondered if I was a strange person. However, after encountering the concept of persona, I realized that it was not a strange phenomenon but a universal phenomenon, so I was comforted. Dramaturgie is also similar, but it was interesting to examine it in detail through this document.

3) Questions & Discussions

What role do you usually play more often? Are you someone who deals with manipulation information and team boundaries, a mediator, or a colleague? If you apprehend. what role you mainly play, you will be able to understand yourself and how you are doing your social life.