W 12.2 Dramaturgy

 

1. The summary

The Dramaturgy is a concept used in micro-sociology to explain social interaction happening in people's life. This term is originated by Erving Goffman and Kenneth Burke(who is influenced by Goffman). Burke believed that our life is in like a real theater while Goffman used it just metaphorically.

Dramaturgy explains that our everyday life is like an play in the theater. We have a role in the society and we present it to the other people like actor perform the role to the audience with wearing proper costumes. It also said as actor's identiy is not stable in the play on the stage person's identity in society keep changing by social interaction.

There are seven elements Goffman classified about the performance(in dramaturgy "performance" means the performance of self, the effort to make impression to others).

1. The belief: The performer's belief in his or her role the audience(the public) can only try to guess whether the performer is sincere or cynical.

2. The front: this is also called as 'mask', the techinque that control the manner where the audience perceived.

3. Dramatic realization: a portrayal of aspects of the performer that they want the audience to know.

4. Idealization: Performances often idealize reality to create a more appealing and believable experience for the audience.

5. Maintenance of expressive control: the need to stay 'in character'.

6. Misrepresentation: the danger of conveying a wrong message

7. Mystification: Hide certain informations to increase the curiosity of audience and decrease possibilities of harming the performers.

There are three stages in Dramaturgy theory. I will summarize there very simply.

1. Front Stage - There are expectations and norms in the society and even if the individual reject it he or she will follow them in the society like performer did it in 'front' of the audience.

2. Back stage - "the performer can relax; he can drop his front, forgo speaking in his lines, and step out of character."

3. Outside or Off stage means the who are outsiders are not involved in the performance

Some people who believe that theory should be applied where has been tested said that this theory should be applied in certain institutions. Some critics also said that dramaturgy never contributed "to sociology's goal of understanding the legitimacy of society"

2. Discussion 

It is interesting that there is a sociological theory that view our everyday life as a play in the theatre. At the first time I saw this term I thought it may be about the the conspiracy theory that our world is controlled by small group of elites like in the play at the theater.

I think as some critics said that this theory has a limitation because it focus on the individuals and some of this theories' assumption are not scientifically verified and the sociological theory and term is very variable so it has a limitation. But I think this theory has a unique approach to people's everyday life.

3. 

What things can be applied to this theory in society?

Do u agree that everyday life is like theater?