Erving Goffman
Early Life and Education
Erving Goffman was born on June 11, 1922, in Mannville, Alberta, Canada. His parents, Max and Anne Goffman, were Ukrainian Jewish immigrants who had moved to Canada during the First World War. Goffman was the youngest of three siblings.
Goffman's early education took place in Dauphin, Manitoba, where his family relocated in 1937. He completed his high school education in Winnipeg, Manitoba. After high school, Goffman attended the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, where he initially studied chemistry. However, he soon developed an interest in sociology and switched his major.
In 1945, Goffman moved to the United States to pursue further studies. He enrolled at the University of Chicago, one of the leading institutions in the field of sociology at the time. He earned his Master's degree in 1949 and his Ph.D. in 1953. His doctoral thesis, "Communication Conduct in an Island Community," was a case study of the Shetland Islands in Scotland.
Career
After completing his Ph.D., Goffman began his academic career as an assistant to the director at the National Institute for Mental Health in Bethesda, Maryland. During this time, he conducted fieldwork at St. Elizabeths Hospital, a mental institution. This experience would greatly influence his later work.
In 1958, Goffman published his first book, "The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life," which introduced his concept of "dramaturgical analysis." This concept suggests that social interactions can be understood as theatrical performances, with individuals playing different roles depending on the situation.
Goffman joined the faculty of the University of California, Berkeley in 1958. During his tenure at Berkeley, he published several influential works, including "Asylums" (1961), "Stigma" (1963), and "Interaction Ritual" (1967). In these works, he explored concepts such as total institutions, stigma, and face-to-face interaction.
In 1968, Goffman was appointed the Benjamin Franklin Professor of Anthropology and Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania. He remained at this institution until his death in 1982.
Theoretical Contributions
Goffman is best known for his development of the concept of "dramaturgical analysis." This theory proposes that social life is like a drama or a stage play: Birth ushers us onto the stage of everyday life, and our socialization consists of learning how to perform on that stage.
In his book "The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life," Goffman uses the metaphor of the theater to analyze social behavior. He argues that individuals present a series of "fronts" or "faces" to others, just as actors do on stage.
Another significant contribution of Goffman's work is his study of total institutions, particularly mental hospitals. In his book "Asylums," Goffman analyzes these institutions as places of residence and work where a large number of individuals, cut off from the wider society, lead an enclosed, formally administered life.
Goffman's concept of "stigma" is another significant contribution to sociology. In his book "Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity," he explores how individuals manage their "spoiled" identity – a characteristic that is deeply discrediting within a particular social interaction.
Legacy
Erving Goffman's work has had a profound impact on sociology and other disciplines. His concepts of dramaturgical analysis, total institutions, and stigma have become foundational in the field. His work continues to be widely read and cited, and his theories continue to influence the study of social interaction.
Goffman's work has also influenced the fields of communication studies, social psychology, and cultural studies, among others. His analysis of how individuals present themselves in everyday life has informed studies of communication and identity.