Language
Country/Area
No result found
Performer or audience? Which role do you play in society?
In the theater of daily life, each of us plays a unique role, but sometimes we are like silent spectators, which makes every social interaction like a stage performance.
Druther's sociological stance holds that elements of social interaction depend on time, place, and audience response.
This concept can be traced back to Erving Goffman, who delved into the drama of human interactions in his work The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. In Goffman's vision, our self is a theatrical effect that changes with different settings and audiences.
The composition of dramatic interaction
According to Goffman's theory, our social role is similar to that of a stage actor. Our behavior on the "front stage" must meet the expectations of the audience, while "backstage" we can truly express ourselves. Goffman divided our lives into three main stages: the front stage, the back stage, and the external stage.
In the foreground, individuals are expected to present themselves in a certain way, and society will pay special attention when behavior violates social norms.
Everyone will show a specific "mask" on the front stage, and these masks are just like the root of the Latin word "persona", which means "actor's mask". People choose clothing based on their desired image and portray different roles in different social situations.
Changes in masks and roles
When we step into a social situation, we often unconsciously put on this social mask. Through carefully choreographed behaviors, we project the version of ourselves that we want others to identify with.
Goffman once pointed out that it is very important to maintain expressive control, that is, to ensure that the signals we convey can correspond to the image required by the character.
In social performances, whether we are performers or spectators, every role has its importance. Our interactions are like a collaborative stage play, influencing each other to shape society.
The boundary between the front desk and the back desk
In Goffman's framework, the front stage is the conscious performance, while the backstage is the space for relaxation. People can put down their performance masks backstage and express their true selves. This level of escape is not only a rebellion against social expectations, but also a return to one's own true emotions.
Goffman explains that the presence of the backstage is integral to social interaction and allows us to take a break from the heavy performance.
For example, a waiter in a restaurant behaves as professionally as possible in front of customers, but when communicating with colleagues backstage, can easily complain about the customer's unreasonableness and his inconvenience.
Performance in social media
With the rise of social media, the performance stage has expanded to a wider range. Users carefully curate social media images to show a beautified life. Sometimes there is a huge gap between this image and real life.
Druther's theory emphasizes the expressive nature of human interaction, which provides a new perspective on social roles and self-expression.
Therefore, while social media users are showing their lives, they are also constantly building their own brands, trying to meet the expectations of specific audiences.
Facing the randomness of characters
As performers, our roles are constantly changing depending on the social environment and the people we interact with. As Goffman said, every social interaction relies on a consensus between the individual and the audience.
Goffman mentioned that in any performance, actors have potential mistakes, and audiences tend to intentionally ignore the possibility of these mistakes.
In this case, an individual's identity is not fixed, but is reshaped with each social interaction. The interweaving of roles and identities makes the process of social interaction full of profound and complex meanings.
Final Thoughts
Whether it is in daily life or in a specific social field, we play different roles all the time, which makes us constantly think about our own positioning. In this interactive stage, do you choose to be a performer or an audience?
