Canadian-American sociologist Erving Goffman’s article is a deep dive into human action and
social behaviour explained with the explicit analogy that people are actors on a “social stage.” Like
players in a theatre, these actors continuously create an impression of themselves to project an image
that benefits the audience. In turn, a positive reaction elicited from this projection directly benefits the
actor. The fronts that we create are built by manipulating certain factors around us such as our outward
appearance, our emotional demeanour, and the setting in which we perform, and all these variables
must be actively taken into consideration when acting. Forming an idealized image is a part of
impression management as described by Goffman, and the social stages that demand the highest
degree of this ideal tend to be competitive settings with a clear professional hierarchy, such as a school
or workplace. In these settings, we manage impressions to achieve personal goals or to simply fit in with
our peers.
Although it is so ingrained into us that it seems natural, the constant acting out of these social
roles is taxing, which is why certain physical and mental spaces exist that allow us to drop these facades
and become closer to our true selves. Goffman calls this the backstage, which consequently makes the
scene we project ourselves onto be called the front stage. We tend to act differently backstage,
unburdened by the demands of our audiences, but not everyone’s front is far disconnected from their
absolute-truth persona. Some connect deeply with the parts they play on the front stage and find it
simple to keep up their fronts since they are barely “fronts” at all, and some play their roles cynically,
performing only for the sake of achieving another end or personal gain. Regardless of commitment,
backstage is where actors catch a break from being the “character” that must please the audience, as
well as take time to prepare for further acting, whether that be honing new impressions or readying
their nerves to appear before the audience again.
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