Simmel and Goffman on Internal and External Conversation

Abstract

In this book, I attempt to identify the nature of the relationship between internal and external conversation and, specifically, the process mediating between these two forms of dialogue. Mediation constitutes a complex mechanism according to which the individual interacts with society and with herself. In this first chapter I will discuss Simmel’s and Goffman’s views on society and the individual, in order to determine how they might be used to gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between internal and external conversation. First, I shall analyse Simmel’s distinction between the private and the social, and his views on differentiation and freedom with regard to the individual, then discuss inner needs and social forms. Following this, I will explore Goffman’s views on society and the self and introduce his ‘role concepts’. Finally, I will explore ‘self-talk’ as a distinctive form of internalisation and externalisation.