Goffman's Dramaturgy

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Many studies have embarked on the study of family in different approaches. The common existing research on the sociology of family focused on the survey methods and longitudinal data in order to observe demographic changes (Collett & Childs, 2009). However, the performative nature of family is largely overlooked. With regard to Dramaturgy, little is known about the application of this theory on the field of family.
The family, being a dynamic social institution, is suitable to be analyzed using Goffman’s dramaturgical approach since the concern of dramaturgy is human interaction likened to a grand play and social reality as being actively constructed. With that being said, role making and dramaturgical devices such as scripts, props, and stages …show more content…
This script equip actors with dialogues and actions when face with situations, allowing convenience for actors that rather than creating spontaneous lines, there is a general script that actors can be used. Similarly, it was added in the work of Kivisto & Pittman (2007) that, “Because the script is not quite as important in social interaction as it is in theater, we can expect other tools of the actor to play a slightly larger part in conveying a person’s role in a social interaction than those same tools do in a play”. Also of importance is the costumes and props, these are what the actors used when appearing in the front stage so as to cultivate the identity of the role they are …show more content…
Goffman (1959) distinguished this two stages of social life in relation to the theatre (as cited Collett & ). The region where actors fulfill their performance and act according to the role expected to them by audience is the front stage, on the other hand, back stage is the space where actors are able to unbend the impressions he/she performing on the front stage. Within the back stage, actors are free to express their hunches and behaviors that audience may find unpleasant (Aspling, 2011). Accordingly, front stage and back stage division can be noted comparable with the private and public life distinction (Aspling, 2011). The front stage as as the public realm and back stage as the private arena.
In an article I have read which is published by Sage Publications, however is currently on draft and cannot be used, I agree that the sociological sense of these front and back stages lies on how people react according to the social judgements brought by the expectations build upon the performance of their roles. It is worth noting here how the presentation of the self or identity is largely influenced by the society. Individuals tend to perform in relation to the larger structure that he/she is part of and in this case, it is the
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