Goffman , “Deference and Demeanor”

1. Goffman, “Deference and Demeanor” • Deference: definition and why we show deference (to the extent we do) • Avoidance and presentational rituals as forms of deference • Demeanor: definition and why we show good demeanor (to the extent we do) • Relationship between deference and demeanor • Goffman on Mead and their views of the self • The sacred self

2. 1. Deference • How does Goffman define deference? Is this the same way you would define deference? Why or why not? • What are Goffman’s explanations for why people show deference to one another? • Do you agree or disagree with his reasons?

3. 2. Avoidance and Presentation Rituals • Examples? • Do you agree or disagree with Goffman’s statement that “there is an inherent opposition and conflict between these two forms of deference” (p. 487)? Why?

4. 3. Demeanor • What is good demeanor? Do you agree with Goffman’s list (p. 489) or would your list look different? • Goffman argues that good demeanor allows others to rely on the person “to maintain himself as an interactant, poised for communication, and to act so that others do not endanger themselves by presenting themselves as interactants to him” (p.489). What does he mean by “endanger”in this sentence? What kinds of danger might an interactant face in an interaction? • How would you be likely to respond to bad demeanor as described in Ward B (p. 490)? How would you act and what would you feel?

5. 4. Deference and Demeanor • It seems possible to say that having good demeanor means showing deference, and that the two are one and the same. Why does Goffman argue otherwise? Do you agree or disagree? • Goffman argues that “the failure of an individual to conduct himself with proper demeanor does not always relieve those in his presence from treating him with proper deference” (p.493). Think about a situation in your experience in which someone did not act with proper demeanor; did others act with deference regardless or no?

6. 5. Goffman on Mead • On page 493, Goffman criticizes Mead as an “oversimplification.” Do you agree with his criticism or not? Why? • Do you agree or disagree with Goffman’s image of the chain of ceremony? Why? • How do Goffman and Mead view the self differently? What constitutes the self for Mead and what constitutes it for Goffman?

7. 6. The sacred self • Goffman writes, “It is therefore important to see that the self is in part a ceremonial thing, a sacred object, which must be treated with proper ritual care and in turn must be presented in a proper light to others. . . . Deference and demeanor practices must be institutionalized so that the individual will be able to project a viable, sacred self and stay in the game on a proper ritual basis” (p. 497). Do you agree or disagree with these statements? Why or why not? • From this, Goffman argues that in a secular world, “Many gods have been done away with, but the individual himself stubbornly remains as a deity of considerable importance ” (p.499). What do you disagree with about this statement and what do you agree with? Why?

8. Goffman and Mead Similarities • Both argue that the self is created through the actions of others (in interaction) • As a result, both go against the Western commonsense of the individual as prior to society, and have a more Melanesian view of the self in which it is hard to distinguish between self and society.

9. Goffman and Mead Differences • Mead: the self is a mind created through internal dialogue (between I and me) vs. Goffman: the self is a ceremonial object which is created by deference (from others) and demeanor (from one’s own actions) • For Mead, once the self is developed (i.e., the attitudes of others are internalized), the self is permanent (can be alone without risk of disintegration); for Goffman, the ceremonial self is always at risk of profanation from others (hence the danger of interactions) • For Mead, the self is the inner life, the mind, one’s thoughts; for Goffman, the self is the image (the “face” or dignity) of the person

10. Why show deference? • For Mead, because one has internalized the attitudes of a generalized other (e.g., being civil is good), or is anticipating how a specific other might respond to one’s action • For Goffman, to maintain a ceremonial self (a self worthy of dignity and respect)---for oneself (to maintain an image of yourself for yourself) and so that others may show deference to such a well-demeaned person in a chain of ceremony

11. Goffman on Mead “The individual must rely on others to complete the picture of him [or her] of which he himself is allowed to paint only certain parts. . . While it may be true that the individual has a unique self all his own, evidence of this possession is thoroughly a product of join ceremonial labor” (1956, p. 493).