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The concept of “facework” was articulated by Erving Goffman (1967/1955). He provides a model of human interaction in which individuals’ subjective perceptions are central. It is a matter of self-regulation and the ritual recreation of ”face.”
He defines ”face” as ”the positive social value a person effectively claims for himself.” If a person makes ”a good showing,” then the image of him or her is perceived by that social actor as approved by members of the reference group. If there is a mismatch, there is likely to be a negative emotional reaction. In conventionalized encounters there is little choice about which face to ”be in” or ”maintain.” A person can be said to be ”in wrong face” or ”out of face” when she cannot integrate the situation or deal with it in expected ways. When one is out of face there may be a sense of shame, while being ”in face” tends to be associated with pride.
An interaction involves people trying to follow expected patterns. Expected signs such as glances and gestures are either given or withheld (Collins 1988: 16). Greetings and farewells are ritualized ceremonies which compensate for previous or future separations. The tendency, according to Goffman, is for all actors to support one another’s face. Encounters help one to construct a sense of one’s own face, or ”self-image.” People tend to try to protect their own inner idea of themselves even when they may rebel in open or hidden ways.
Bibliography:
- Collins, R. (1988) Theoretical continuities in Goffman’s work. In: Drew, P. & Wootton, A. (eds.), Erving Goffman: Exploring the Interaction Order. Northeastern University Press, Boston, MA, pp. 41-63.
- Goffman, E. (1967) [1955] Interaction Ritual. Anchor, Garden City, NY.
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