the presentation of self in everyday life

the presentation of self in everyday life

The Importance of Self-Presentation in Everyday Life

1. Introduction

Central to Goffman’s face-to-face sociology is the concept that individuals are required to actively manage their self-image. Indeed, Goffman states that “the individual’s performance leads the others to impute a defined character to him, and this character which they ascribe to him has significant bearing on the conduct which they will themselves project back to him.” Essentially, what Goffman is saying is that an individual’s actions will cause others to form an idea of a typical ‘character’ of them, and this, in turn, influences the way the individual will be treated by those others in the future. Goffman also states that when an individual effectively manages their self-image, they can use this to control the way others perceive them. This can have desirable outcomes on future interactions with others as their improved character may lead others to react more positively towards them.

A number of micro-sociologists have influenced our understanding of society, with the work of Erving Goffman undoubtedly being amongst some of the most significant. Despite publishing the bulk of his work in the 1950s-1970s, his dramaturgical model of society has influenced a wealth of research in the field of sociology, psychology, and beyond.

2. The Role of Appearance

It is natural that a primary component of an individual’s presentation of self involves the adornment of the body through its appearance. How we look, or more specifically, the way we perceive our look to others, reflects personal traits about the individual. Society believes that those who are attractive and physically good looking are perceived as being more sociable, happy, and successful. This is supported through research indicating that people who are seen as more attractive are also thought to possess a number of positive social traits and personality characteristics. We have also been socialized to believe that we can tell a lot about a person by looking at their appearance. Our first impressions of people are based on their appearance, or “thin slices” of information about them. In these “thin slices” of information we tend to connect a person’s outward appearance with our inner perception of their character. An example of this might be that we are more likely to approach a person who is dressed well and looks clean than to approach a person in dirty looking pajamas. Although one might argue that they should not judge a book by its cover, this is often the case in everyday interactions between people. Through these impressions and the ways we connect the outward appearance with an individual’s character, we use a person’s appearance as a guide to how we act toward them. Goffman suggests that in day to day encounters we are constantly trying to maintain the correct attitude we believe is associated for a person in a given status. In doing so we are looking for cues on how to behave and are looking to avoid embarrassment. These include encounters with friends, with employers, ones teachers, or a person of the opposite sex. In such encounters we are more likely to act politely and deferentially toward a person we feel is of a higher status than us. On the other hand we often act casually or even lack respect for those of lower social status. Goffman argues that in order to help define the status of a person and set the correct attitude toward them we use verbal cues as well as material cues and nonverbal symbols. An example of a material cue might be a teacher allowing students to call them by their first name, and a change in status might be defined by a person simply putting on an expensive watch. Goffman believes that these cues help to maintain the proper decorum for the status of a given individual and help define the situation of an encounter between them. By using these cues we are assuming that the appearance of a person reflects their status and it is in a person’s best interest to control what we are assuming about them through their appearance.

3. Verbal Communication and Body Language

British culture is littered with phrases about stigmatizing an individual by their body language. Two examples being the phrases “looks shiftier than a shifty thing from a shifty town in a shifty country” and “he ain’t right and proper, he ain’t.” Both of these show that verbal communication is not the only way of conveying a message about oneself. Others can make judgments and inferences on what is said and what is done by the body language, which often relays a more honest picture than that of the spoken word and can’t be manipulated so easily.

An important factor in verbal communication is body language. It is said that how something is being said and what is being inferred can often be judged by seeing if the words match the body language. It is all too familiar a story with politicians. The same sentence may mean two entirely different things depending on if eyes were averted. An experiment carried out by Mclaughlin involved getting subjects to communicate a range of emotions simply by looking at a photograph. The range of success showed surprising results. As well as an indication of what is being inferred by the speaker, body language can often be used as a judgment. In this, I mean if someone commits a social blunder or is disliked, a certain mannerism may be brought up and used as an example to ridicule.

Different cultures also place varying significance on what is said to what is done in the means of getting a message across. CVs and American interview techniques may be seen as a rather contrived way of getting at a person’s background by a culture that uses ties of personal influence to find positions for people, acting on the basis of what is said. An example that happened to me while in Germany was taken aback when about 15 people arrived at a house I was renting. When they said they were coming over, I thought they meant the whole group, whereas to them it was obvious that they meant several small groups on different nights! Communication is not just a word-for-word transfer of information, misunderstandings can occur.

Goffman argues that when we are interacting with others, we are all actors and that an important aspect of the performance is the types of things we allow others to know. He states that self-disclosure is a very delicate thing, selective and manipulative. It is the revealing of an individual’s true character or emotions to others. You can tell more to one person about a topic, yet the overall content will be the same as if you’d said less to another. Where and when it is said and the manner of communication may lead the first listener to believe that there was self-disclosure of greater sincerity. Goffman also talks of using hints to manage the amount of information that is given. An example being if you didn’t want to go to a social event, if you bluntly said no, it could save other people time and inconvenience, but may lead to a loss of face and cause undesirable social consequences. If you were to use a hint by saying you have nothing to wear, it could lead to the host getting the idea and not asking you to go.

Verbal communication can be a minefield. How you speak and what you say can significantly affect how you are perceived by others. Language can be crucial in self-presentation.

4. Social Media and Online Self-Presentation

Social media gives us the opportunity to control our self-presentation over and over again through the profile that we create. We can get another chance to think about the pictures we post and the things we say. We can simply untag ourselves from unflattering photographs and delete inappropriate comments and wall postings. By fixing our online profile, we can change how others see us and act as a self-fulfilling prophecy in a way. Friends of friends who have not yet met us, before seeing our profile, may have already formed an opinion about us based on the information he or she sees on our Facebook, Twitter, or social networking page. When that information is altered, it will create for that person a different idea about the kid he or she hasn’t met yet. For example, when I meet some of my roommates’ extended friends and family, they might have already thought something about me based on my roommate’s description of me. If I were given the chance to change my first impression on these people, it would be a great opportunity to create a different idea of me before we even meet. People form an impression about others based on their first interaction, and if I were able to change that interaction by presenting an online profile to act as an outline of who I really am, then there is a way to create a new first impression other than actually meeting someone in person. Making a good first impression is crucial in forming good relationships and allows for a potential doorway into advantageous future outcomes. If I am able to create a different first impression, it would be possible to form more friendships and create a bigger friend base. This is important socially for people who are looking to expand their social network and meet new people. Self-presentation is independent of social traits, but it can be used to facilitate the expression or the suppression of social traits. The more I am able to express my social traits to paint an accurate picture of who I am with my online profile, the easier it will be for people to understand the real me.

5. Conclusion

Having the ability to change one’s style is an asset as those who can do this are often those who are able to shape and manage the impressions formed in the minds of others. There may be many reasons why we set out to control the way in which others perceive us. Regardless of the kind of impression we are looking to make, be it positive, negative, or simply neutral, the way in which we represent ourselves has a large impact on our lives, how we are treated and the opportunities we are presented with. It is necessary to remember that there is often much discrepancy between the impressions one is trying to project and the way in which one is actually seen. Ultimately, Goffman, much like Shakespeare, is saying that the world is a stage, and we are actors on it. We might not always be in the role we want to be in, and people might not see us in the way we wish to be seen. However, we can still exercise a great deal of control over our lives and the ways in which people view us. This can be done by being aware of the ways in which we create impressions, distinguishing between public and private personas, and knowing who we are and what we want. An actor with a clear understanding of his many roles, a script and good direction has the potential to be a very effective performer. Similarly, an individual who can control the impressions others have of them has the potential to greatly influence the ways in which they are treated and the opportunities presented to them.