Goffman s Contributions On The Theory Of Social Stigma

I have chosen to examine Irving Goffman’s contributions to the theory of social stigma, specifically through the perspectives presented in Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity. My analysis of this work leads me to imagine communication as a mask, possessing the ability to shield the wearer’s actual social identity from observers. This metaphor has utility because it provides a concrete way to conceptualize a portion of the complex web of presentation and interpretations that accompany communicative interaction with an individual who is perceived to have an attribute that positions them as significantly other. When I originally proposed communication as a mask, I was envisioning the mask as noise designed to act as a barrier to communication. However, once I became aware of Goffman’s work, I realized that this particular conception of communication provides specific advantages for the stigmatized in a way that acknowledges the constant vigilance and level of effort that a stigmatized individual must put forth in order to engage with a normal without revealing their attribute. Thus, I have chosen this perspective because it disturbed my default understanding of communication as an exchange between two normals. It may enable those who use it to develop insight into the experiences of those who perceive co mmunicative interactions differently then themselves. Goffman’s â€Å"Presentation of the Self in Everyday Life† (2007) considers even the most mundaneShow MoreRelatedThe Presentation Of The Self By Irving Goffman1305 Words   |  6 Pagessociological concept ‘dramaturgy’, developed by Irving Goffman (1922 – 1982), was initially used in his book The Presentation of the Self (1959). Dramaturgy uses the theatre as an extended metaphor to explain social interaction and social roles. Like actors in a play, people play roles, working together to up hold various social realities and functional institutions such as work, school, home, medical, legal or leisure. Key components of this theory are ‘front and back’ and ‘impression management’, whichRead MorePoverty Is Not Only An Individual Problem2983 Words   |  12 PagesPeople Poor in America?† Rodgers gives two categories of theories that are used when cultural /behavioral or structural/economic. Behavior/culture theorist s look at the behavior, culture and values of the poor as the reason for poverty. While structural /ecIn western culture statistics are an excessively used tool in describing social issues. Numbers help explain a situation, but in excesses, can dehumanize a population. A serious social issue that suffers from desensitization is poverty. PovertyRead MoreInteraction Ritual by Erving Goffman1369 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Erving Goffman (1922-1982) held the position of Benjamin Franklin Professor of Anthropology and Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania. He served as President of the American Sociological Association in the year leading up to his death in 1982. Goffman is considered as the pioneer of the study of face-to-face interaction and has made a substantial contribution to micro-sociology. He is recognised as a major figure in the symbolic interaction perspective. In 2007 he was listedRead MoreSociology : A Sociological Perspective1292 Words   |  6 PagesSociology Ashley Drees Ivy Tech Community College Professor Brosmer April 10,2016 What is Sociology Sociology  is the  study of  social behavior or society, including its origins, development, organization, networks, and institutions. Sociology is a social science that uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about social order, disorder, and change. Three Main Theoretical Perspectives in Sociology Functional Perspective Conflict PerspectiveRead MoreThe Sociology Of Health And Mental Illness3181 Words   |  13 Pagescontext and influences of two theorists, Michel Foucault and Erving Goffman, on the sociology of health and mental illness. Word count: 3,132 John Goulder! 1 ï ¿ ¼Introduction: Mental Health as Disparate Social Object Antipsychiatry was as much a cultural phenomenon as an academic or institutional one. Whilst the work of Laing (1960) and Szasz (1960) can be rooted in the Fruedo-Marxist ‘methodological individualism’ of critical theory (Rogers Pilgrim, 2010: 14), or even a broader constructionist critiqueRead MoreIs Deviance A Moral Social Order?1715 Words   |  7 Pagesaccepted by the society (Henry, 2009: 2). This stands in correlation to the human attempt to make a moral social order in which some behaviour is characterized as deviant or unacceptable and other conduct is characterized as acceptable, through the making of rules that subject rule violators to sanctions and don t allow some behaviours. Though deviance is taken to be an infringement of social standards, crime on the other hand is seen as an infringement of criminal law, and though deviance is behaviourRead MoreNotes On The Management Of Spoiled Identity Essay2045 Words   |  9 PagesErving Goffman, Ph.D is a well- known sociologist. In the early 1960’s, Goffman published Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity. The published document illustrated the lives of stigmatized individuals who are unable to conform to standards that society calls â€Å"normal†. Goffman’s other works included The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life and Asylums. Goffman primary focus was on the detailed analysis of encounters and the norms governing these encounters, therefore the evaluationRead MoreLabelling Theory2112 Words   |  9 PagesLabeling theory had its origins in Suicide, a book by French sociologist Émile Durkheim. He found that crime is not so much a violation of a penal code as it is an act that outrages society. He was the first to suggest that deviant labeling satisfies that function and satisfies society s need to control the behavior. As a contributor to American Pragmatism and later a member of the Chicago School, George Herbert Mead posited that the self is socially constructed and reconstructed through the interactionsRead MoreEffects Of Stigma On African Americans2054 Words   |  9 Pagesâ€Å"Social stigma is defined as the censure of, or dissatisfaction with, a person due to a physical, social, or psychological feature(s) that differentiates that individual from the cultural norm† (Goffman, 1963). Being accepted by others is considered an essential human need, being ostracized or marginalized can be psychologically deleterious for the stigmatized individual (Goffman, 1963). Dating back to our caveman days, stigma has a profound impact on people’s mental and physical health in a varietyRead MoreHoward Becker s The On Opium Addiction3802 Words   |  16 PagesHoward Becker is an American social scientist who has made real commitments to the human science of aberrance, humanism of workmanship, and human science of music. Becker additionally composed broadly on sociological written work styles and systems. Moreover, Becker s 1963 book Outsiders gave the establishments to labeling theory. Becker is regularly called a typical interactionist or social interactionist; nevertheless, he does not adjust himself to either system. A graduate of the University of