Introducing Self-Affirmation by Erving Goffman Erving Goffman was a sociologist who studied and analyzed social interaction. He was particularly interested in explaining how people live their lives as if they were actors performing on stage. He looked at the world as if he were a “director” seeing what happens in everyday life. He called this observation of the world dramaturgical analysis. He applied terms to this explanation, which include the concepts of status and role. He called the “part in a play” the status, and therefore the “script” is the role. His statement of self-presentation was used to describe "a person's efforts to create specific impressions in the minds of others." Goffman thought that when an individual is among others, they would try to "upstage" or personify someone to impress those around them. He involved several elements in his theory about himself. We all have different performances in which we represent, or as Goffman would say “wear”. However, our performances can include many aspects, not just the way we behave towards others. The way we dress, the item...