MDSA01H3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 11: Todd Gitlin, Tragic Hero, Scapegoating
Document Summary
In sociological literature agency describes the capacity of human beings to act purposively and according to their own volitions, while structure refers to any social feature or force that constrains or limits agency. Dramaturgy is a theory developed by the canadian-born sociologist erving goffman that utilizes the metaphor of theater to explain the character and function of public behaviour, especially face-to-face interactions. The foundational assumption of dramaturgy is not a stable, independent entity, but a performed character we are endlessly staging and restaging in the presence of others. (goffman) For goffman, impression management is the art of successfully staging a character or part, of enacting a performance that creates the desired impression of the itself. Like all theatrical performances, performance of the self-entail certain dramatic elements such as stage, setting (or scene), part (or character), and teams (or players): stage describes a performance"s degree of publicness.
