Multiple selfing

Abstract

Analyzing the self is central in the work of Erving Goffman. The focus of his interest is on investigating the reason people behave differently and play diverse roles depending on unique social settings. In several microsociological studies, he conceptualized individuals as actors and demonstrated that they play particular roles with respect to the specific situation in which they find themselves. Generally, according to Goffman, the self is formed in a steady and active process. In this process, the self is both an element and a product of interactions. He conceptualized the self as a kind of performance. Therefore, differences in interactions and in social situations correspond to diverse presentations of the self. As such, each person engages in multiple selfing, which provides a useful focus for case study analysis of identities at work (see Application section, below).

Cite article

Meier, L. (2009): Multiple selfing. In: A. J. Mil, G. Durepos & E. Wiebe (Hrsg.) (2009): Encyclopedia of case study research, p. 584-585. DOI:10.4135/9781412957397.n217