Erving Goffman’s Dramaturgical Theory

1. Explain Charles Horton Cooley’s concept of “the Looking-Glass Self.” Then apply the concept of “the looking-glass self” to describe hypothetically how a person who has an eating disorder could have been influenced by others.
2. According to your text, parents of different social classes socialize children differently. For example, middle-class parents are more likely to stress independence and self-direction, whereas working-class parents prioritize obedience to external authority. Research shows that such socialization through families potentially reproduce inequality. Do you agree or disagree? Substantiate your argument with at least 2-3 examples from academic sources.
3. Define what an ‘ascribed status’, an ‘achieved status’, and a ‘master status’ are. Describe some ascribed statuses, achieved statuses, and a master status from your life. How do these statuses make you feel? Examine the positives and negatives of these statuses? How did the example you gave become to be your master status? Is the master status within your control to change, or is it a matter of others’ perceptions?
4. What is ‘Social construction of Reality?’ Provide a couple of examples either from your life or those found in the society to elucidate the concept well.
5. Pick either Erving Goffman’s “Dramaturgical Theory” or Harold Garfinkel’s “Ethnomethodology” & ‘Breaching Experiments’ and explain it in detail. Provide 2 detailed examples to substantiate the theory you choose to explain.

Sociology-Erving Goffman’s Dramaturgical Theory

Flag this Question Question 182 pts Imagine that you’ve just read the results of a study that finds a positive correlation between gum chewing and life expectancy. Which of the following statements would be a statistically appropriate response to the results of the study?
You bemoan the possibility of living so long that you will have to chew lots of gum.
You become curious about what third variables might cause both increases in gum chewing and increases in life expectancy.
You purchase a lifetime supply of gum because chewing gum is good for your health.
You tell all your friends and family members to chew gum because it is good for their health.