DOCSLIB.ORG

In Erving Goffman's Dramaturgy, the Back Stage

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
In Erving Goffman's Dramaturgy, the Back Stage 02-Bruce-3321-Ch.B.qxd 11/18/2005 3:21 PM Page 16 B BACK STAGE OR REGION In Erving the status quo. It is this aspect of his work Goffman’s dramaturgy, the back stage is con- that has most appealed to contemporary trasted with the front stage; it is the space in cultural commentators. which people can relax and drop their role performance. In the example of a restaurant, BARTHES, ROLAND (1915–80) Barthes the kitchen is the back stage area in which was a key figure in the development of semi- waiters can joke, mock customers and toy otics, the study of signs, where he adapted with the food. When they come through the the linguistic arguments of Ferdinand de door into the restaurant’s front stage, they Saussure to apply to the analysis of culture are supposed to slip effortlessly into the con- and cultural symbols. Saussure had empha- trolled performance of the attentive waiter. sised that words are arbitrary indicators of meaning: there is nothing about the word BAKHTIN, MIKHAIL (1895–1975) A ‘snail’ that fits it to describe snails. Another Russian writer concerned with literature and word would do just as well. Barthes argued language, Bakhtin’s life was inextricably that cultural symbols are often just as arbi- caught up with the history of the Soviet trary: thus, a deerstalker and cape have come Union. Like many unorthodox intellectuals to stand for the garb of a detective. From this he was arrested in the late 1920s and was point it is a short step to suggest that the forced into internal exile. Later, one of his study of culture is fundamentally about read- books was destroyed at the publisher’s ing cultural signs. Barthes often distinguished premises during the attempted Nazi invasion between what something denotes (what it of the USSR; the book never appeared literally stands for or represents) and what because, though he had kept notes, he it connotes (what it implies or suggests). famously used up a large share of them as Cultural goods are often valued for what make-shift cigarette paper during the war. they connote as much as what they denote. Bakhtin was a pioneer in the socio-linguistic Thus, a ‘designer’ handbag often functions no analysis of fiction, particularly novels. He better as a handbag than would other makes, was also fascinated by the phenomenon of car- but is valued for what it connotes. nival, specifically in carnivals dating from the European Middle Ages during which grotesque BASE AND SUPERSTRUCTURE Karl Marx and improper behaviour was encouraged and used the terms to express the relationship social hierarchies were disrupted. For Bakhtin, between the economy (the base) and other carnival indicated the widespread potential features of society (the superstructure): for subverting established world-views and the nature of the economy and its level of 02-Bruce-3321-Ch.B.qxd 11/18/2005 3:21 PM Page 17 basic human needs bauman, zygmunt (1925–) productivity is held to determine such other and Michel Foucault have all claimed him as things as the political structure, the legal sys- a prophet of postmodernity. In the 1920s he tem, the nature of the state and so on. Marx was involved in surrealism, in the late 1930s recognised that the real world is not that in anti-fascist politics, and after the Second simple and that actual relationships may World War he founded and edited Critique,a often run in the other direction (for example, major influence on Foucault and Jean the ability of a state to maintain law-and- Baudrillard. order will have a major effect on economic development) but it is a defining characteristic of Marxist thought that, in the big picture, BAUDRILLARD, JEAN (1929–) Although the influence of the base on the superstruc- he is often classed with Lyotard and Derrida ture is greater than the latter’s effect on the as a postmodernist, French sociologist Jean former. Baudrillard is better described as a disap- pointed Marxist who, like the members of the Frankfurt School, turned his attention to BASIC HUMAN NEEDS Lay people and popular culture and the media in an attempt professional social scientists talk often of to explain the failure of the working class to basic human needs but it is not easy to find play its revolutionary role. He is best known agreement about just what they are once we for the argument that modern societies are so move beyond the purely biological needs of saturated by the mass media that reality loses food and shelter. If we starve or freeze to its meaning. People are no longer participants death we are no longer human. But what in their own lives but observers of what the else is foundational? The list is commonly media has turned into ‘spectacles’. An exam- extended to take in what are thought to be ple is pornography, which ought to represent necessary preconditions for full participation unconstrained sexual excess but has been in social life. This raises the question of turned by the media into nothing; a symp- exactly which needs are given by our human tom of the dreary and relentless commodifi- constitutions and which are a result of social- cation of everyday life. Baudrillard can isation into a particular culture. For example, therefore be seen as proposing a peculiarly some sociologists of religion argue that radical form of semiotics; in our ‘age of sim- almost all societies have religions because the ulacra’ there are only signs and representa- human condition creates a need for gods; tions. All prospect of access to real things has others counter that religions socialise people disappeared. This situation he terms hyper- into feeling the needs that religions can sat- reality. With his own flair for publicity, isfy. As is clear in his discussion of alienation, Baudrillard famously claimed that the 1991 Karl Marx supposes that the opportunity to Gulf War did not happen apart from its express oneself through creative work is a appearance on television. That said, it is clear basic human need. that the war actually took place, but its meaning and the details of what happened are inseparable from the televised coverage. BATAILLE, GEORGES (1897–1962) French philosopher Bataille lived a dual life. By day he was a respectable librarian at the BAUMAN, ZYGMUNT (1925–) His career Bibliothèque Nationale and philosopher; by began in his native Poland at the University night he was a sadist and alcoholic who wrote of Warsaw in the 1950s but when he became pornography. He is mentioned in social theory disillusioned with Marxism he was encour- because Roland Barthes, Jacques Derrida, aged to emigrate to Israel. He then moved to [ 17 ] 02-Bruce-3321-Ch.B.qxd 11/18/2005 3:21 PM Page 18 beck, ulrich (1944–) behaviour Leeds in northern England. He first came insure against such hazards. The handling to prominence with Modernity and the and regulation of such risks becomes so con- Holocaust (1989) in which he argued that sequential that it changes the character of the Holocaust was a particularly modern contemporary societies. Society is no longer phenomenon to be explained by modern primarily a class society, it is a risk society. technology, by modern bureaucratic methods Beck’s second claim is that, in risk soci- for handling large numbers of people, and eties, there are widespread difficulties with by the lack of responsibility that Bauman the generation of authoritative knowledge. regarded as a consequence of modernisation. On the face of it, this claim is similar to that He later became associated with various of postmodernism. However Beck argues aspects of postmodernism. that the problem confronting knowledge is really one of ‘reflexive modernisation’. In other words, in the face of the new risks, BECK, ULRICH (1944–) Ulrich Beck’s medical, scientific and technical knowledge work became widely known to an interna- is subjected to closer and closer scrutiny. tional audience in the early 1990s when his Faced with this relentless self-examination, book Risk Society: Towards a New Modernity expert knowledge becomes less certain and (1986) was first published in English transla- often more divided. Some experts speak in tion. Though the book is wide-ranging and favour of nuclear power, others against. The often surprisingly impassioned in its argu- authority of technical knowledge goes into ments, most readers agree that he makes two decline. novel claims. First, he proposes that contem- Beck’s work has become increasingly porary societies differ from their predeces- widely acknowledged largely because – sors because of the central importance of the unlike many sociological theorists – his ideas handling of risk. Of course, early modern appear to have been borne out in readily societies – in the 16th and 17th centuries for understandable ways. Following the publica- example – faced many threats. Bad weather tion of his book there were major risk prob- might ruin harvests, disease might strike lems surrounding ‘mad cow disease’ and the uncontrollably. Such risks were beyond planting of genetically modified crops. Beck’s human control. Subsequently, industrialisa- observations seemed to be bang on target. tion and the growth of medical and technical knowledge allowed people to exercise more control over their environments. Weather BECKER, HOWARD S. (1928–) Although forecasting diminished the threats to har- he made important contributions to the vests. There was less risk and people were study of professional socialisation with Boys optimistic that further risks would come in White: Student Culture in the Medical World under control. Insurance and compensation (1961) and to sociology of music with his schemes allowed people to be indemnified studies of jazz musicians (he was an accom- against risk to a large extent.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Contemporary Social Theory
    CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL THEORY General Editor: ANTHONY GIDDENS This series aims to create a forum for debate between different theoretical and philosophical traditions in the social sciences. As well as covering broad schools of thought, the series will also concentrate upon the work of particular thinkers whose ideas have had a major impact on social science (these books appear under the sub-series title of 'Theoretical Traditions in the Social Sciences'). The series is not limited to abstract theoretical discussion - it will also include more substantive works on contemporary capitalism, the state, politics and other subject areas. Published titles Tony Bilton, Kevin Bonnett, Philip Jones, Ken Sheard, Michelle Stanworth and Andrew Webster, Introductory Sociology Simon Clarke, Marx, Marginalism and Modern Sociology Emile Durkheim, The Division of Labour in Society (trans. W. D. Halls) Emile Durkheim, The Rules of Sociological Method (ed. Steven Lukes, trans. W. D. Halls) Boris Frankel, Beyond the State? Anthony Giddens, A Contemporary Critique of Historical Materialism Anthony Giddens, Central Problems in Social Theory Anthony Giddens, Profiles and Critiques in Social Theory Anthony Giddens and David Held (eds), Classes, Power and Conflict: Classical and Contemporary Debates Geoffrey Ingham, Capitalism Divided? Terry Johnson, Christopher Dandeker and Clive Ashworth, The Structure of Social Theory Douglas Kellner, Herbert Marcuse and the Crisis of Marxism Jorge Larrain, Marxism and Ideology Ali Rattansi, Marx and the Division of Labour Gerry
    [Show full text]
  • Thomas Theorem and the Matthew Hfed?
    The Thomas Theorem and The Matthew Hfed? ROBERT K MERI'ON, Cohmbiu University and Russell Sage Foundation Eponymy in science is the practice of affixing the names of scientists to what they have discovered or are believed to have discovered,’ as with Boyle’s Law, Halley’s comet, Fourier’s transform, Planck’s constant, the Rorschach test, the Gini coefficient, and the Thomas theorem This article can be read from various sociological perspectives? Most specifical- ly, it records an epistolary episode in the sociointellectual history of what has ’ The definition of epw includes the cautionary phrase,“or are belkvedto have discovered,” in order to take due note of “Stigkr’s Law of Eponymy” which in its strongest and “simplest form is this: ‘No scientific discovery is named after its original discovereV (Stigler 1980). Stigler’s study of what is generally known as “the normal distribution” or “the Gaussian distribution” as a case in point of his ixonicaBy self-exemplifyingeponymous law is based in part on its eponymous appearance in 80 textbooks of statistics, from 1816 to 1976. 2 As will become evident, this discursive composite of archival dccuments, biography of a sociological idea, and analysis of social mechanisms involved in the diffusion of that idea departs from the tidy format that has come to be p&bed for the scientific paper. This is by design and with the indulgent consent of the editor of SocialForces. But then, that only speaks for a continuing largeness of spirit of its editorial policy which, back in 1934, allowed the ironic phrase “enlightened Boojum of Positivism” (with its allusion to Lewis Carroll’s immortal The Hunting of the &ark) to appear in my very fist article, published in this journal better than 60 Y- ago.
    [Show full text]
  • Social Theory's Essential Texts
    Conference Information Features • Znaniecki Conference in Poland • The Essential Readings in Theory • Miniconference in San Francisco • Where Can a Student Find Theory? THE ASA July 1998 THEORY SECTION NEWSLETTER Perspectives VOLUME 20, NUMBER 3 From the Chair’s Desk Section Officers How Do We Create Theory? CHAIR By Guillermina Jasso Guillermina Jasso s the spring semester draws to a close, and new scholarly energies are every- where visible, I want to briefly take stock of sociological theory and the CHAIR-ELECT Theory Section. It has been a splendid privilege to watch the selflessness Janet Saltzman Chafetz A and devotion with which section members nurture the growth of sociological theory and its chief institutional steward, the Theory Section. I called on many of you to PAST CHAIR help with section matters, and you kindly took on extra burdens, many of them Donald Levine thankless except, sub specie aeternitatis, insofar as they play a part in advancing socio- logical theory. The Theory Prize Committee, the Shils-Coleman Prize Committee, SECRETARY-TREASURER the Nominations Committee, and the Membership Committee have been active; the Peter Kivisto newsletter editor has kept us informed; the session organizers have assembled an impressive array of speakers and topics. And thus, we can look forward to our COUNCIL meeting in August as a time for intellectual consolidation and intellectual progress. Keith Doubt Gary Alan Fine The section program for the August meetings includes one regular open session, one Stephen Kalberg roundtables session, and the three-session miniconference, entitled “The Methods Michele Lamont of Theoretical Sociology.” Because the papers from the miniconference are likely to Emanuel Schegloff become the heart of a book, I will be especially on the lookout for discussion at the miniconference sessions that could form the basis for additional papers or discus- Steven Seidman sion in the volume.
    [Show full text]
  • Dramaturgy Handbook
    Marat/Sade Emerson Stage 2007-08 Photo Brendan Koons DRAMATURGY STUDENT HANDBOOK Compiled by Magda Romanska, Ph.D. Head of Theatre Studies and Dramaturgy Advisor Emerson College Department of Performing Arts 120 Boylston St Boston, MA 02116 [email protected] 2 TTAABBLLEE OOFF CCOONNTTEENNTTSS WHAT IS DRAMATURGY? ........................................................................... 4 DRAMATURGY AND THE LIBERAL ARTS ............................................... 6 INSTITUTIONAL DRAMATURGY .............................................................. 7 PRODUCTION DRAMATURGY ................................................................. 9 AMERICAN VS. EUROPEAN DRAMATURGY ........................................ 13 DRAMATURGY PORTFOLIO .................................................................... 14 RECOMMENDATION LETTERS ............................................................... 15 DRAMATURGY CAREER RESOURCES ............................................... 17 INTERNSHIPS ......................................................................................... 17 GRADUATE PROGRAMS - M.F.A. /Ph.D. ............................................... 24 JOURNALS ......................................................................................................28 CONFERENCES & ORGANIZATIONS .................................................... 49 OTHER CAREER RESOURCES ............................................................. 53 DRAMATURGY BEYOND THEATRE DRAMATURGY FOR FILM SCRIPTS.....................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Symbolic Interactionism Mark V
    English Technical Reports and White Papers English 2015 Symbolic Interactionism Mark V. Redmond Iowa State University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/engl_reports Part of the Interpersonal and Small Group Communication Commons Recommended Citation Redmond, Mark V., "Symbolic Interactionism" (2015). English Technical Reports and White Papers. 4. http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/engl_reports/4 This Book Chapter is brought to you for free and open access by the English at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in English Technical Reports and White Papers by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Symbolic Interactionism Communication Context Interpersonal, Small Group, Cultural. Questions It Addresses in Our Every Day Lives: 1. How our interactions with others affect our sense of self. 2. The importance of symbols/language to society. 3. Where our mind and humanness comes from. Theory in a Nutshell ● We acquire symbols from interactions with society/other people. ● Acquiring symbols allows us to develop a sense of self and a mind (we think by way of symbols). ● Societies exist because people are able to interact with each another through symbols. Visualization of Symbolic Interaction Theory Mind Symbol Self Society “Symbols include words and many objects, and almost all acts around others contain a symbolic element. Words are the most important symbols, making human thinking possible.” Joel M. Charon (2007, p. 58). Introduction and Overview Let’s start with a simple definition of what a symbol is. A symbol is a stimuli that is abstract and arbitrary to which meaning is applied.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 2: Understanding Theory
    UNDERSTANDING THEORY Kathleen S. Lowney We all have perspectives or ways of seeing the world, but few of us are aware of alternative points of view. © iStockphoto.com/Simondistribute Dannhauer or CHAPTER 2 CHAPTER post, copy, not Do Copyright ©2021 by SAGE Publications, Inc. This work may not be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means without express written permission of the publisher. LEARNING QUESTIONS because of social solidarity, or the moral order of society. Why and how do sociologists use Families, religion, education, and other institutions teach 2.1 theoretical perspectives? individuals to help society function smoothly. 2.2 What is structural functionalism? CONSIDER THIS 2.3 What is a conflict perspective? Do you believe anyone can “make it” in society if they 2.4 What is symbolic interaction? just work hard enough? Or do you think some have more advantages than others? How have your life How do structural functionalism, conflict perspectives, and symbolic interaction work experiences influenced the “glasses” you use to see 2.5 together to help us get a more complete the world? view of reality? Durkheim and Types of Societies Émile Durkheim, writing in the early 1900s, examined What Is Theory? social solidarity throughout history. In smaller, preindus- trial societies, social solidarity derived from the similarity 2.1 Why and how do sociologists use of its members, what Durkheim referred to as mechanical theoretical perspectives? solidarity. Most diddistribute similar types of labor (working the land) and had similar beliefs (based on religion). Children often will try on another person’s glasses.
    [Show full text]
  • Centennial Bibliography on the History of American Sociology
    University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Sociology Department, Faculty Publications Sociology, Department of 2005 Centennial Bibliography On The iH story Of American Sociology Michael R. Hill [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/sociologyfacpub Part of the Family, Life Course, and Society Commons, and the Social Psychology and Interaction Commons Hill, Michael R., "Centennial Bibliography On The iH story Of American Sociology" (2005). Sociology Department, Faculty Publications. 348. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/sociologyfacpub/348 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Sociology, Department of at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Sociology Department, Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Hill, Michael R., (Compiler). 2005. Centennial Bibliography of the History of American Sociology. Washington, DC: American Sociological Association. CENTENNIAL BIBLIOGRAPHY ON THE HISTORY OF AMERICAN SOCIOLOGY Compiled by MICHAEL R. HILL Editor, Sociological Origins In consultation with the Centennial Bibliography Committee of the American Sociological Association Section on the History of Sociology: Brian P. Conway, Michael R. Hill (co-chair), Susan Hoecker-Drysdale (ex-officio), Jack Nusan Porter (co-chair), Pamela A. Roby, Kathleen Slobin, and Roberta Spalter-Roth. © 2005 American Sociological Association Washington, DC TABLE OF CONTENTS Note: Each part is separately paginated, with the number of pages in each part as indicated below in square brackets. The total page count for the entire file is 224 pages. To navigate within the document, please use navigation arrows and the Bookmark feature provided by Adobe Acrobat Reader.® Users may search this document by utilizing the “Find” command (typically located under the “Edit” tab on the Adobe Acrobat toolbar).
    [Show full text]
  • Levine Georgetown 0076M 12
    ERVING GOFFMAN AND YOU A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences of Georgetown University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Communication, Culture, and Technology By Sara Levine, B.A. Washington, DC April 1, 2014 Copyright 2014 by Sara Levine All Rights Reserved ii ERVING GOFFMAN AND YOU Sara Levine, B.A. Thesis Advisor: Wayne H. Osborn, Doctor of Philosophy. ABSTRACT Erving Goffman and You is an animated web series that explores the main tenets of sociologist Erving Goffman’s The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. Goffman is best known for using theatrical terminology to analyze mundane interactions. Goffman explained his theories with anecdotal examples, but his anecdotes are not as relatable as they were when the book was published. Erving Goffman and You reboots Goffman’s concepts through six modern day examples. The web series relies on a knowledge base that includes both Goffman’s work and the work of Goffmanian scholars. The combination of updated examples and visually engaging content provides a fresh take on dramaturgical analysis for newcomers and fans of Goffman alike. iii Table Of Contents 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................. 1 2. The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life ................................................................... 2 2.1 Dramaturgical Analysis ............................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Alec Campbell [email protected] Office Hours M 8-9 AM and by Apt Office A242
    Introduction to Sociology SOC 101 | Fall 2015 C164 | TTh 12:30-2:40pm Alec Campbell [email protected] Office Hours M 8-9 AM and by apt Office A242 Course Outcomes: After completing this class, students should be able to: Critically examine the social landscape in which you live and how life experiences differ according to race, class, gender and sexuality. Identify the ways in which cultural and social institutions shape the everyday experiences of individuals, groups and communities. Describe fundamental sociological concepts, and theories, and apply them to real-life situations. Texts There is no textbook for this class and no books to purchase. All class resources can be accessed through canvas or will be provided by the professor. Policies Student Attendance: Attendance is essential to your success in this course. I will take attendance every day and you will receive 10 points if you are in class on time and 5 points if you arrive late. There are 22 class meetings and a maximum of 200 attendance points so it is possible to miss two classes and still receive full credit for attendance. I will make accommodations for college sanctioned events (athletic contests, artistic performances, conferences) provided that you inform me of your anticipated absence in a timely fashion. An example of timely notification can be found in the tentative schedule. I will be attending a college sanctioned conference on November 5th and class is cancelled on that day. In any case, you will be responsible for material covered in your absence and for turning in any work due on the day of your absence.
    [Show full text]
  • Dept Newsletter Fa05 Copy.Indd
    Sociology Outlook I S ISSUE I 2005 Illinois Sociology Znaniecki Conference Draws International Speakers and Participants Florian Znaniecki was a Professor of Sociology at Illinois from 1940 to 1958. Though Professor Znaniecki was quite prolific in his scholarly career, his most famous contribution is his renowned immigration study (co-authored with W. I. Thomas), The Polish Peasant in Europe and America. In order to honor his legacy and to remain mindful of our own departmental history, we hosted The Znaniecki Conference and 6th Annual Transnational Workshop on April 21 and 22 of this year. These two days of panels and discussion were invigorating, lively, and even drew a few visitors from other university communities to our doorstep. Day 1 of the gathering was focused on Professor Znaniecki’s ideas and an extension of those ideas. Day 2 was a Transnational Workshop that remained in tune with the previous day’s proceedings by employing a theme of “Transmigration.” Therefore, we were able to observe some of the effects (direct and indirect) of Professor Znaniecki’s work not only in a historical sense, but in a contemporary one as well. Our keynote speaker on Day 1, Professor Elzbieta Halas of the University of Warsaw, opened up the days’ events with some thoughts on “Culture and Power.” Furthermore, Professor Halas was making a personal reconnection, as she had been a visiting scholar in our department during the 1980s. She remarked on how glad she was not only to be at the conference but also to be back in Urbana-Champaign, strolling on the Quad, and seeing old faces from her time here.
    [Show full text]
  • Sociology and Poetry: an Introduction Michael R
    University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Sociology Department, Faculty Publications Sociology, Department of 2006 Sociology and Poetry: An Introduction Michael R. Hill University of Nebraska-Lincoln, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/sociologyfacpub Part of the Family, Life Course, and Society Commons, and the Social Psychology and Interaction Commons Hill, Michael R., "Sociology and Poetry: An Introduction" (2006). Sociology Department, Faculty Publications. 356. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/sociologyfacpub/356 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Sociology, Department of at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Sociology Department, Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Hill, Michael R. 2006. “Sociology and Poetry: An Introduction.” Sociological Origins 4 (Spring): 66-68. THE SOCIOLOGY OF POETRY: A SYMPOSIUM Sociology and Poetry: An Introduction 1 Michael R. Hill OETRY IS A SOCIOLOGICAL REALITY. It has an institutional location within society, plays an important part in everyday social interaction, and promises very real results as a site Pfor conceiving and explicating alternative social constellations. Simultaneously, poetry is sometimes difficult to grasp by those of decidedly a prosaic bent, and this includes too many sociologists. As poetry shapes — and is in turn shaped by — the active
    [Show full text]
  • Resituating Erving Goffman: from Stigma Power to Black Power
    Resituating Erving Goffman: From Stigma Power to Black Power Abstract This paper offers a critical re-reading of the understanding of stigma forged by the North American sociologist Erving Goffman in his influential Stigma: Notes on the Management of a Spoiled Identity (1963). One of the most widely read and cited sociologists in history, Goffman was already famous when Stigma was published in 1963. His previous books were best-sellers and Stigma alone has sold an astonishing 800,000 copies in the fifty years since its publication. Given its considerable influence, it is surprising how little sustained engagement there has been with the historicity of Goffman’s account. This paper resituates Goffman’s conceptualisation of stigma within the historical context of Jim Crow and the Black freedom struggles that were shaking “the social interaction order” to its foundations at the very moment he crafted his account. It is the contention of this paper that these explosive political movements against the ‘humiliations of racial discrimination’ invite revision of Goffman’s decidedly apolitical account of stigma (Robinson, 2000, p. 318). This historical revision of Goffman’s stigma concept builds on an existing body of critical work on ‘the relationship between race, segregation and the epistemology of sociology within the United States’ (Bhambra, 2014). Throughout, it reads Goffman’s Stigma through the lens of “Black Sociology”, a field of knowledge that here designates not only formal sociological scholarship, but political manifestos, journalism, creative writing, oral histories and memoirs. It is the argument of this paper that placing Goffman’s concept of stigma into critical dialogue with Black epistemologies of stigma allows for a timely reconceptualisation of stigma as governmental technologies of de-humanisation that have long been collectively resisted from below.
    [Show full text]