It’s incredible how after these five weeks I
am so much more aware of how we all conduct ourselves in a manner that seems to
conform with Goffmans ideas about deference and demenour . After reading the
assigned chapter for the week by Goffman, especially after looking at how long
it was and dreading it, I actually found it to be rather interesting.
There are many ideas thrown around in the
chapter, ‘deference’, ‘demenour’, ‘symmetrical’, ‘asymmetrical’, and so on and
so on.
Obviously the whole point of the reading
relates to deference and demenour and the place each of these ideas has in
society. To begin with lets take a look at ‘rules of conduct’.
Goffman defines rules of conduct as “a
guide for action, recommended not because it is pleasant, cheap or effective,
but because it is suitable or just.” (pg.48)
These rules are applied to many aspects of
our daily lives, in the form of written and unwritten rules, laws and common
understandings. From my understanding Goffman is speaking about those ‘rules’
that are unwritten and informal.
Goffman goes on to separate this idea into obligations and expectations. Obligations are the way we are expected to act
ourselves and expectations are how others are to act in respect to us.
For example in a certain situation, when walking
past an old friend we often feel obliged
to wave and say “hello”, and we expect
the same in return.
The basis of the whole chapter reflects
around deference and demenour, and the place each of these concepts have in
society.
My understanding of deference is the way we
interact and conduct ourselves in relation to others, and demenour being the
way we conduct or ‘present’ our own self.
So, deference is displayed right here on my
blog. I am interacting with others and there is a ‘code’ that governs the way I
do so. But in doing this, I am also using (not sure if that’s the right term,
but anyway) demenour, which in a way tells me how I should be acting and
presenting myself to others.
Deference and demenour can be applied in
just about every social setting, whether that be on the phone, the internet, at
the shop, at work, the list is endless….
