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8.10.10
I'm actually became quite interested in sociology after been exposed to the theory written by Erving goffman. His work " the presentation of self in everyday life " present the idea of 人生就是一场戏. In Goffman work, the social setting people interact in is like the front of a stage. We are just actors on it. People act according to the script they were deal. For example, mothers will act accordingly by been meticulous in taking care of her child. Similarly teachers are expected to be teaching students something. Roles and script are fixed. If anyone were to behave different from their supposed script, the society will work it's way to correct it. There are two ways. Firstly, the society will established a system to help the person who sway away to adjust back. For example when a lady from a respectable high society background fell down in a party, people around her will help her up immediately so as to make sure her social identity as a noble can be maintained in the society. On the other hand the society as a whole might also criticize and isolate an individual who dun act out their own script. For example a father who dun bring home income to support the family will be condemned by the society. It's all part of following the play. That's the front of the stage. At the back of stage, we the actor will drop our roles and revert to our personal identity. For example, an office worker will put his leg up on his desk and relax when he thought there was no one else in the office already. Thats his backstage, his powder room; a place where there is no need for him to follow his social script. However if this moment, his boss were to suddenly come in, he will immediate reposition himself and revert to a hardworking front. That's an example of him coming out of the backstage and enter the front stage again. It's like a show. We are all actors in it. You and I both have our specific task in this society. Our role throughout our life as children, parent, students, elderly and many more are the type of different social script deal to us. And even our interaction with people can be track back to the very script itself. Google to find out more. Goodnight. |