Sheryl Anne B.

Umali
9:00-10:00 am | MWF

Masks and Meanings

A Synthesis Paper on Social Interactionist Theory and Dramaturgical Approach

People wear different masks every day. How they behave in every communication process

with a specific person or group may vary. Individuals can co-construct meanings as they interact

with one another. The social interactionist theory and dramaturgical approach are two disciplines

that help understand these things. Both reveal that being scripted and discourse is affected by the

complex relationship between actors, text, and audience; actors shape a text and play a key role in

determining the meaning of discourse.

George Herbert Mead introduced Social Interactionist Theory in sociology during the

1920s. According to him, people come up with symbolic meanings through social interactions.

Later, Herbert Blumer added the three premises of symbolic interactionism as explained by Brown

(2013) in a Khan Academy video. Firstly, our actions are based on the meanings we associate with

things. Secondly, the meaning of things is co-constructed and re-constructed through interaction

with another person who might not initially share the same meaning as the first person. Lastly,

meanings are temporary and are subject to change in everyday life.

On the other hand, Erving Goffman developed the sociological concept of dramaturgy,

which utilizes the metaphor of theater to explain human behavior. The dramaturgical approach

asserts that humans perform multiple roles for different sets of an audience as if on a theatre stage.

A typical stage has two parts, the frontstage, and the backstage. The frontstage is always meant for

performative activities. This stage is where individual acts and speaks in a particular manner to

impress the audience. The backstage, however, is all the preparation the performer does that is not
Sheryl Anne B. Umali
9:00-10:00 am | MWF

visible to the audience. The information is controlled in an interaction in order for a person to

influence the perception of other people about him/her. This process is known explicitly as

impression management.

Both disciplines reveal that people can be scripted as they engage in a discourse. In social

interactionist theory, people are seen as users of scripts and codes. It means that people adhere to

the established language rules. Nevertheless, scripts and codes can be speakers rather than users

in the dramaturgical approach. Actors in a play are not the play's authors but rather say what a

scriptwriter or director assigns them to say. Similarly, those who use discourse construct narratives

or communicate through scripts by agreeing to the rules of discourse as expected by the audience

the speaker/actor is trying to perform for or impress.

Moreover, people see all forms of interaction as meaningful in social interactionist theory.

For instance, Person A sees that using a shared pen in a remittance center is harmless. Person A's

meaning of pen is just for writing. Then, Person B came along, stood beside Person A, and started

filling up a form, except that Person B used a personal pen. Person A interacts with Person B.

Person A later learns from Person B that public pens may be contaminated with bacteria and other

harmful microorganisms since they are touched by numerous hands every single day. Thus, Person

A considers Person B's meaning of shared pens and will remember it the next time he sees one.

Meanwhile, in a dramaturgical approach, people see scripts and narratives as having only

a symbolic function in society. For example, Person A is new to a school and wants to join a

popular group composed of Persons B, C, D, and E. In order for Person A to be able to impress
Sheryl Anne B. Umali
9:00-10:00 am | MWF

the group, he/she must share their interests. Person A may say that he/she loves watching anime,

too, even though he/she hates it. The group may invite her for an anime marathon. Person A

pretends to be excited but watches the episodes in advance so he/she can keep up with the group

conversation later. Hence, Person A' liking anime' serves a function for he/she to be accepted into

the group.

Overall, social interactionist theory and dramaturgical approach acknowledge that the

speaker/writer and audience's relationship is part of a text and meaning production system. People

can co-construct meanings over time through various social interactions and have the freedom to

alter the words they speak and how they behave in a social setting depending on the individuals

and groups they interact with in every communication process.

References:
Brown, S. (2013, September 17). Symbolic interactionism | Society and Culture | MCAT | Khan
Academy [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved September 23, 2022, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ux2E6uhEVk0

Goffman's Theory of Symbolic Interaction and Dramaturgy | Free Essay Example. (2022,
September 5). StudyCorgi.com. Retrieved September 22, 2022, from
https://studycorgi.com/goffmans-theory-of-symbolic-interaction-and-
dramaturgy/#:%7E:text=Through%20the%20dramaturgy%20approach%2C%20Goffman
,where%20individuals%20perform%20different%20roles.

James, H. (2014, October 24). Dramaturgical approach | Individuals and Society | MCAT | Khan
Academy [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved September 22, 2022, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UH7eOrP64q4

Libretexts. (2021, February 20). 5.1C: Dramaturgy. Social Sci LibreTexts. Retrieved September
22, 2022, from
https://socialsci.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Sociology/Introduction_to_Sociology/Book%
3A_Sociology_(Boundless)/05%3A_Social_Interaction/5.01%3A_Understanding_Social
_Interaction/5.1C%3A_Dramaturgy
Sheryl Anne B. Umali
9:00-10:00 am | MWF

Socialized Self: Herbert Blumer's Three Basic Premises. (n.d.). Retrieved September 23, 2022,
from https://www.everythingsociology.com/2014/03/socialization-herbert-blumers-
three.html

Study.com | Take Online Courses. Earn College Credit. Research Schools, Degrees & Careers.
(n.d.). Retrieved September 22, 2022, from https://study.com/learn/lesson/dramaturgy-
sociology-analysis-theory-approach.html