Free Custom «Goffman?s Concept» Essay Paper

The major argument and the commencing assumption for this assignment is that Goffman’s work provide a platform over which we will try to figure out the nature of our daily life from a view point that depicts the actions we portray and the desired interpretations and reasons we always give to the same actions. They are considered to be elemental in individual’s social nature. Moving forward with this assumption, it’s evident that the channel Goffman’s decides to partake is the one that involves individual’s daily life in relation to the theatrical scenarios. This approach of looking at an individual’s action depicts that people do not act for the sake of mere deeds in fact its arguably right to implicate that these actions are social performances whose goals and objectives is to accomplish the purported intrinsic scope that the action may have intended to. These actions are also portrayed by an individual for the sake of depicting and keeping up with the intended impressions of themselves to others¹.

Evidently, these actions that are portrayed by individuals are perceived to involve social and relational facets that possess the desire to depict impressions that these same individuals wish others to have. With this assumption in mind it will be wise to deploy various techniques initially instigated by Goffman so as to fully expound on the social theatrical performances that individuals wish others to perceive.

Since this assumption is not considered as a conclusion, the discussion will only use it for the purpose of initializing the task at hand. This assumption will only act to provide a guideline upon which the discussion will follow. Taking into account that the kind of work I do is involved greatly with human interactions, it will be wise to put this assumption into test so as to completely evaluate and analyze my daily experiences. My profession involves teaching Korean students in 4^th to 7^th grade about reading and writing in English as a language and this experience mainly incorporates personal relationship with these students so as to conduct my duties and responsibilities effectively.

As mentioned earlier on, the techniques that I will deploy will act as a platform for the mentioned assumption. The first concept will be based upon distinguishing two modes of communication, that is, expressions us as human beings give and those that we give off. The expressions that we give are always perceived to be rational form of expressions as depicted by verbal communications individuals use as part of their language. The “expressions we give off” are perceived as non-verbal and unintended as they effectively serve the purpose intended in the sense that they convey messages amongst individuals. The distinction that concerns the expressions we give are sometimes considered manipulative as individuals can perform changes to their respective behaviors with the intention of fitting into particular settings. As a teacher I always try as much as possible to conduct myself in a way that my student can relate to in the sense that I instill confidence and trust when teaching so that these students are forced to perceive me as a teacher that they can rely on. I usually incorporate both verbal and gesture modes of communication so as to present myself as a teacher who knows how to perform duties bestowed upon her. This concept usually steers the kind of interaction I engage with the students ².

The second concept is meant for distinguishing between the symmetry versus the asymmetry as depicted by the two modes of expressions. Symmetry is portrayed whenever there is a resemblance between the two forms of communication and asymmetry occurs whenever there is absent of any correlation between these two forms ³. Thus is to say that whenever a student who had been constantly asking for permission to visit the bathroom nevertheless says that the she found the lesson interesting then it’s considered asymmetrical in what these two forms of expressions imply. As stated earlier on, asymmetrical mode of expression can be manipulated and thus this student might consider supporting her movements with a false revelation whose aim being implicating the most favorable impression as possible. Goffman indicates that this behavior may take shapes of “cycle of concealment, discovery and rediscovery”. All geared towards the goal of giving off an advantageous set of impression as much as possible ⁴.

The third concept dwells upon the “working consensus” and it’s normally depicted whenever people express different meanings to social circumstances they are undergoing and these circumstances may sometimes conflict. This working consensus is considered as an uncertain conformity as to whose claims and meanings will be honored in relation to the underlying circumstances. Another matter to take into consideration, while still evaluating “working Consensus”, is the fundamental amount of information people possess at first meetings with fellow human beings since ensuing actions and responses will always be based upon this preliminary understanding. Goffman indicates that the acceptable meanings proceed to have the moral, imperative character in that they commence to tell people on how they should behave and what they should do during their interactions with others ⁵. This means that individuals are always expected to conform to this stipulation and any failure indication automatically leads to problems. As a teacher I always presume to handle each student according to my initial judgment during the first meeting, on the other hand, I try best to present myself at a level best so that both the student and the parent have a complete trust in whatever I intended to teach those students.

The basic step that I make while still teaching my students is basically measuring their respective levels of interest in getting to know and understand English which then I proceed to use as a reference point for each and every student. This procedure is normally intended for the purpose of gathering enough and relevant information of each student.

As long as I indulge myself to this kind of believe then I usually reference my undertakings to Goffman’s concept of “belief in the part one is playing” this is taken to mean the level at which a person gets to believe that the respective expressions he is depicting as a social performance is in fact a certainty. This is so because a performer always believes that whatever he or she is doing actually is the truth representation⁶. For instance, in the teaching profession teachers are made to believe that whatever they are teaching is in fact the right doctrines irrespective of the truth behind the doctrines. This is a reflection of the doubt that individuals possess despite the fact that they sometimes feel unrealistic and fictitious about the doctrines.

Front as an aspect deployed to oversee our reactions is used as standardized expressive equipment that individuals utilize to explain the existence of different situations either in their general or fixed forms. This tool dubbed “front” is basically sub-divided into two components namely: scenic which is basically taken to mean the physicality of expressive equipments as portrayed by certain spatial localities. Next, is the individual front which is usually expressive equipment that is mostly perceived as natural and it includes traits like: size and looks, race, sex and speech patterns. Goffman makes an effort to distinguish between appearance and manner and he defines appearance as features that aid in portraying individual’s social status and manner is defined as aspects of communication that are meant to inform others of the kind of roles performers want to depict at different instances.

This inconsistency results into challenges that denies people the chance to portray themselves as they purport since there exists a disconnection of facts for how we want to interact with others with our own appearances or the settings we find ourselves in and vice versa. My ability to comprehend to both the languages, that is, Korean and English, was the major reason for my interest in practicing teaching; this means that my race does in fact match my capabilities which I commence to use for purposes of interaction.

Goffman also noted that human actions are social in nature. He used the concept of dramatic realization to explain that individuals always take measure to dramatize whatever they are doing especially when in the presence of others. The predicament becomes whether individuals should be much concerned in doing whatever they are indulging in for their own sake or should subsequently be concerned with how they carry themselves and communicate in the presence of others. Teaching profession experiences quite a blow in this kind of matter in the sense that it always becomes hard for teachers to act in a way that students like. Teaching requires teacher to emulate a certain code of conduct that is depicted for the purpose of professionalism.

Goffman uses the concept of idealization to portray the concealment people have on others in the sense that performers may exaggerate their actions or relationships that they have with others as being special and deserving privileged attention ⁷. This leads to an implication that gives a picture of social interactions being steered to depend on personal feelings on the parts of participants and the participants portray an element that signifies importance of this relationship. As a teacher I always work an extra mile to assure my students that the kind of relationship I own is just like that of an individual who is always present to assist people in any way possible. I make them feel special and advantaged to have been brought into my care by their parents.

All in all, I can wisely proclaim that Goffman concepts were specifically channeled to explain the conducts of people as single individual members of the society and how they always behaved while in their working stations. A teacher is no exceptions to this sophisticated mode of concepts since the profession indulges in different level of interactions.