Goffman,Erving

Abstract

AbstractErving Goffman was one of the leading sociologists of the 20th century. His work has had a major impact on the human and social sciences, and on media and communication studies. His dramaturgical perspective on social orders and interactions has been applied to a broad range of media and forms of communication. Goffman also wrote extensively on media and communication himself, particularly in the later stages of his working life. This entry concentrates particularly on Goffman's many conceptual innovations—for instance, “performance,” “front/back stage,” “ritual,” “frame”—and their uptake in media and communication studies.