Identity

Question 1

Goffman & Identity

Answer 1

Developed the concept of dramaturgy, the idea that life is a never-ending play in which people are actors.

Suggested that we take on different roles in every social situation. These situations are front stage where we continuously act in different roles ascribed to us by others, meaning we have continuously shifting identities front stage. Backstage we can be our true selves and don’t need to act.

We use impression management to manipulation our expression of our identities to others. We use tools such as appearance or manner of interaction to create an observable identity or impression of ourselves to others.

Question 2

Oyserman, Elmore & Smith

Answer 2

Identities are the traits and characteristics,
social relations, roles, and social group
memberships that define who one is.

Question 3

Stryker & Burke

Answer 3

Identity is a references parts of
a self-composed of the meanings attached by persons to the multiple roles they typically
play in highly differentiated contemporary societies.

Question 4

Goffman, stigma and identity

Answer 4

Stigma occurs when there is a discrepancy between an individual’s associated stereotype is disrupted by an unusual attribute (according to that stereotype)

There are three types of stigma:
abominations of the body- disability or deformities
blemishes of the individual character- percieved as weak willed,
group stigma- by not conforming

Question 5

Goffman managing stigma

Answer 5

Goffman suggests that stigma can be managed in three ways:
concealing- hide the stigmatised behaviour/characteristic

differentiating- by announcing stigmatised aspect, emphasising and making it appear normal whilst challenging other’s views

down-playing or normalising- announcing stigmatised characteristic and not emphasising it

Question 6

Rosenberg 1986

Answer 6

Self-concept is the totality of a person’s thoughts and feelings in reference to oneself as an object

Question 7

Altheide 2000

Answer 7

Identity is the part of the self by which we are known to others.

Question 8

Stone 1981

Answer 8

Identity is therefore a public process that involves both the identity announcement made by the individual claiming an identity and the identity placement.

Question 9

Zhao, Grasmuck & Martin 2008

Answer 9

Usually the presence of the body in social encounters prevents people from claiming identities that are inconsistent with the visible part of their physical characteristics, however online the body is detached from social encounters and allows individuals to withhold information about their physical characteristics.