UTS READINGS audience (when one doesn’t behave according to

perceived social status).

https://www.thoughtco.com/the-presentation-of-self-
in-everyday-life-3026754 FRONT: part that functions to define the situation for
the audience. Image or impression performer gives, like
1. The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life
a script (social scripts that suggest how the actor should
- Book published in the US 1959 by Erving
behave or interact in that situation). Individuals
Goffman
commonly use pre-established scripts/fronts
- Imagery: Theater
accordingly.
- Social interaction theory called dramaturgical
model of social life FRONT, BACK, AND OFF STAGE: (1) Front – where actor
- Listed as 10th most important sociology book formally performs and adheres to conventions with
meaning to audience, actor knows he is being watched
Goffman:
and acts accordingly. (2) Back – may behave differently
- Social interaction as theater, people as actors on than when in front, where he gets to be himself and get
the stage with a variety of roles, audience as rid of roles played in front of other people. (3) Off –
other individuals who observe the role-playing where individual actors meet audience members
and react to the performances independently of the team performance on front stage.
- Front stage: audience consciousness and their
Guide Questions: In what ways can we see or associate
expectations for the role influence the actor’s
our daily interactions with other people in our lives?
behavior; Back region: backstage where
(We see our daily interactions as dependent on what
individuals can relax, be themselves
our social context is, formal for school and less formal
- Impression management: where each tries to
for friends). How do we perceive and provide meanings
present themselves and behave in a way that
to certain situations we encounter? (We provide
will prevent the embarrassment of themselves
meanings to situations based on how we interpret them
or others
as audience) What does “The Presentation of Self in
o Definition of the situation: all
Everyday Life” want to imply in the way we portray
understand what is meant to happen in
ourselves in our daily living? (We act based on the
that situation, what to expect from
audience or how others perceive us, so we might act
others, and how they themselves
differently when we’re on stage and differently when
should behave
we’re offstage)
PERFORMANCE: all activity of individual in front of
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-
observers or audience. Deliver impressions to others.
lifespandevelopment/chapter/developing-a-concept-of-
Actor may or may not be aware of their performance or
self/?authuser=0
have an objective for it, but audience is attributing
meaning to it and the actor. Developing a Concept of Self
Self Concept
SETTING: scenery, props, and location where interaction
- Early childhood is time of forming initial sense
takes place. Different settings will have different
of self
audiences.
- Self-concept/idea of who we are, what we are
APPEARANCE: functions to portray to the audience the capable of doing, and how we think and feel,
performer’s social statuses. Temporary social state or taking into consideration how others view us
role (engaging in work, recreation, or formal social - To develop a sense of self, you must have
activity). Dress and props ascribe meaning. interaction with others
How a sense of self develops
MANNER: how individual plays the role and functions to 1. Cooley’s Looking-Glass Self
warn the audience of how the performer will act or seek
to act in a role (dominant, aggressive or receptive). May
have inconsistency and contradiction between
appearance and manner = may confuse and upset

Charles Horton Cooley (1964) suggested that our self-
concept comes from looking at how others respond to
us. Looking at how others seem to view us and interpret
this as we make judgments about whether we are good
or bad… - After forming initial self-concept, we may use
existing self-concept as a mental filter screening out
those responses that don’t seem to fit our ideas of who
we are (negated compliments as ex.)
- When we feel more sure of who we are, we
focus less on how we appear to others
2. Mead’s I and Me
George Herbert Mead (1967) how we develop a social
sense of self by being able to see ourselves through the
eyes of others. Two parts of self (1) I – part that is not
concerned with how others view us, spontaneous
creative innate (2) me – social definition of who we are
- When we are born we are all I and act without
concern about others view but socialized self
begins and we consider how one important
person views us
- Mother telling child that pulling a cat’s tail is
bad and child mimics this in latter time.
Exaggerated Sense of Self
- One of the ways to gain a clearer sense of self is
to exaggerate those qualities that are to be
incorporated into the self
- Preschoolers that exaggerate their own qualities
(not understanding their limits)
- Will be replaced by more realistic self sense in
middle school as they realize limitations
- Allowing capability exploration and authentic
child feedback
- Learning that others also have capabilities,
comparing themselves to understand what they
are good at and not
Self-Control
- How we understand our ability to exhibit self-
control and delay gratification
- Response inhibition and delayed gratification
- Respponse inhibition: recognize a potential
behavior before it occurs and stop initiation of
behaviors that could result in undersired
consequences
- Delayed gratification: process of forgoing
immediate or short-term rewards to achieve
more valuable goals in long term
- Ex. Marshmallow test
- Takes years to develop but begins in early
childhood. Delay gratification for longer periods
= resilience, academic and social competence,
and planning ability
- Poor delayed gratification = poor self eating self
regulation, eating when not hungry and
behavioral problems
Guide Questions: In what ways can we see or associate
our daily interactions with other people in our lives?
(We are conscious of how we appear to others) How do
we perceive and provide meanings to certain situations
we encounter in everyday life? (We perceive based on
how we see ourselves based on how others see us, our
response is affected by them) What does “The
Presentation of Self in Everyday Life” want to imply in
the way we portray ourselves in our daily living? (We are
composed of the interplay of our own I and Me, it is in
our part that social self already has a part in us)
Asynchronous Activity: Write a 50-word reflection
essay for each reading material for this week.
Separate document of reflection paper per article.
Submit it through a pdf file version and use the
specified format below:
- 12, Arial
- 1.15 spacing, Justified
- Short Bond Paper