Goffman's Dramatological Approach

Online self-presentation has been subject to considerable attention, hype and controversy in the popular media. New social networking sites and trends are the subject of constant interest and scrutiny, for example, in recent years, certain pathological discourses have been reserved for the “selfie” . In investigating new social media platforms, many sociologists have found it helpful to analyse online activity using Goffman’s dramatological approach to social interaction and self-presentation . Indeed, on first appearances there does seem to be a lot of parallels in the ways in which people present themselves, through statuses, photos, blogs, tweets, comments etc. Goffman’s notions of performance, front stage and back stage and impression management

I note that online interaction takes on several different forms, blogs, chats, comment threads, photos etc. and takes place on different platforms, and that Goffman’s analysis may be more or less relevant in different circumstances. Therefore, it is fruitful to consider Goffman’s analysis, alongside other approaches. In the first part of this essay I will briefly outline Goffman’s dramatological approach to studying social interaction and impression management. Then, I will explore the ways in which authors have explored the notions of performance, impression management, and the front and backstage to make sense of online self-presentation, flagging up critiques and potential problems of these parallels. In the third part of this essay, I shall explore alternative approaches, including the exhibitional approach and studies into the politics of online

van Dijck argues that individuals use multiple social platforms where they try to present a different kind of idealised self . He argues that users have become increasingly “savvy” at adapting strategies conscious and intentional self-promotion, ‘in deploying these new technologies of self’ . Throughout the last two decades, platforms have specialised into ‘catering for specific functions and audiences’ . For example, LinkedIn caters for professionals and the job market, whereas sites like Facebook tend to market themselves as a more personally social platform. On LinkedIn, online profiles resemble CVs, containing only professionally relevant information such as education, experience and skills . Unlike most other more social or creative sites, users only show one, very formal, photo, and forms of creative self-expression or emotional attachment are discouraged by the site. For most people this will represent something very different to their more expressionistic and social, photo-based Facebook profile. As van Dijck argues, most users will make distinctions and separations between their professional persona, presented to their “connections” and their “self-communication” directed towards their “friends” . Furthermore, users can harness sights for purposes of self-expression (mainly on Facebook) and self-promotion,