39. Erving Goffman on The Performative Self

In this episode we unpack American Sociologist Erving Goffman's 1954 classic, "The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life." This book explores... * The art of impression management *The desire to maintain consistent performances *The self as a social construct Host: Zach Stehura ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠UnpackingIdeas.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Guest: Jason Doe Intro Music: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Polyenso⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Free PDF of the book: ⁠free pdf *note* reading is not required to enjoy this episode! Timestamps 0:00:00 Introduction 0:04:46 Historical Context 0:06:43 “All the World is a Stage…” 0:08:13 Audience/Performer Dynamic 0:10:45 First Impressions 0:12:00 Consistent Performances 0:13:45 Working Consensus 0:17:30 Idealization 0:20:24 Mystification 0:22:27 Audience Segregation 0:25:53 Dramatization 0:28:27 Front Stage/Back Stage 0:37:40 Teams 0:42:00 Discrepant Roles 0:51:38 Failed Performances 0:52:20 Audience Tact 0:54:35 The Moral Character of the Definition of the Situation 0:57:13 False Notes 1:08:09 Performing for Ourselves 1:13:25 The Self as Social Construct 1:18:11 Cynical and Sincere Performances 1:20:17 Masks Becoming Personality 1:22:21 Outro