Dramaturgy Theory

Running Head: Dramaturgy: Life as a Stage and we the Ultimate Actors Dramaturgy: Life as a Stage and we the Ultimate Actors In the extremely patriarchal society in which we live in it is very hard to delineate the standards by which men are considered to fit the perfect All-American male model. We as components of this winding society often set the standards for what fits and what does not fit our expectations. I recently met a friend whom I tutored named Sergio, and he showed me many times that it is important to be able to play in this great game we know as life. Time and time again I was looking at the ingenious tactics that this great person used to get by many situations in which his level of knowledge was questioned because of his lack of higher education. The whole time period that I was close to this individual I was taught that sometimes we are just actors in a huge ongoing stage. We are actors that manipulate situations in order for us to get the upper hand in the situation in question. It made me realize that many times I had acted in a certain way so that I would not be harmed or just for my own benefit. Nonetheless it is very bias for there to be an analysis of one’s own behavior, but Sergio proved

In a famous theory formulated by Erving Goffman known as the Dramaturgy Theory, it was hypothesized that people are constantly presenting themselves according to how they want in everyday life situations. Goffman was quick to add that every person’s life has a front stageand a back stage. In explication, “this theory conceptualizes actors in a cultural environment as performers engaging in manipulative presentations of self and framing who are, at the same time, constrained by scripts and consistency requirement of their roles” (Schimmelfenning, 2002, p.417). In order to better understand this complex concept, an individual’s life can be compared to the stage of a theater play. The stage where the performance takes place obviously has a front stage that is immediately available for observation by the public, however the backstage is hidden and is not observed by the viewing audience. Sergio in this particular case, would show myself (at first) and everyone else a real dominating, always in control of the situation type of person, yet in many instances he was full doubt and insecurity about himself. His lack of schooling did not mean he was a dumb person, but it aided him in doubting himself in many situations. There is quite a difference in age between Sergio and I, and although it may not be much he greatly used it to his advantage. He was a senior in high school and I was a freshman (3 ½ years age difference), not to mention that he was the captain of the football team and the all around popular, handsome guy on campus. By being recommended as a tutor to him by one of our mutual friends we became acquainted 3 years after I finally graduated high school. He was rather skeptical of my scholastic abilities and rather apathetic to learning from someone younger than him. I was greatly intimidated by high huge appearance. Being 6 feet tall and 245 pounds, I was really tiny next to this great giant. It is my opinion that society is a very controlling macro institution that often classifies people unjustly. Why would it be so wrong for a man like Sergio to admit that he does need help academically and that it is okay for him to take school slow? Society socializes individuals to think that many times the admittance of such things would prove them to be mediocre components of this civilization. It was very important for Sergio to show his older twin sisters and his younger brother that although he was not graduated from college and did not have a good paying job, he could maintain his rein as man of the house. He made it an important point to show that he was indeed strong and masculine in other ways, such as working out and keeping a muscular appearance. Undoubtedly his great size made many people feel intimidated by him, and he used this to his advantage in his life stage to make up for his scholastic deficits. Although Sergio was very intelligent, he never fully trusted his own potential for entering college. This is why I got to know him and help him break the barriers that confined him to such a bitter outlook on many issues Reference: http://www.exampleessays.com/viewpaper/93503.html