Name: Avan Fung Chi Yan

Student id: 50366720

Email: 50366720@student.cityu.edu.hk

URL: http://www.oocities.org/hk/avan428/reading_critque_2.htm

Reading critique

Erving Goffman, Dramaturgy, and On-Line Relationships

Nikki Sannicolas

Summary:

This is an article about the methodology of Erving Goffman about interaction order and its’ application on on-line communication. Nikki Sannicolas, the writer first gives a brief description about his background and studies. Then, she mainly focuses on his major study and findings, analysis on interaction order. Goffman states that we act different roles in different situations to support our performance, which bases on the concept of Dramaturgy. Also, our roles are governed by rituals and social rules. Once we act ‘out’ of those conventions and rules, we are regarded as deviance. Nikki then elaborates the ideas by describing people performing different roles through computer mediated communication. They often create an ‘ideal’ self, not only on background, experiences but even mix in gender roles. She also states that these kind of on-line relationships consist of both positive and negative experiences, depending on different physical and mental constraints. Finally, Nikki concludes by stating that people are performing different scripts throughout their life. Though there should have some common features among those scripts, we still have to write some scripts that are able to free ourselves from social restrictions.

Application:

From the passage, it uses an example of people participating in chat rooms may try to portrayed themselves in order to ‘fit in’ various chat rooms ‘rules’. Thus, the may not perform their real self in the other words. What immediately comes into my mind is the film ‘You’ve Got Mail’, performed by Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. In reality, they often have conflicts as Meg thinks that Tom is the one who makes her to close down her mother’s bookstore. She hates Tom a lot. However, they had a strange on-line relationship. In the on-line world, Meg appreciates Tom so much, as she finds that Tom (on the web) understands her pains and needs, and able to console her. Accidentally, Tom finds out who Meg really is. At the same time, ‘real Tom’ crushes on Meg. Finally, ‘On-line-Meg’ wants to date ‘On –line-Tom’, Tom escapes from her as he afraid that once Meg knows who he is, they cannot maintain their warm, passionate on-line relationship anymore. Fortunately, they have a happy ending! They try to portray themselves a role that is attractive, however, conflicts happen when thing comes to reality. It’s lucky that the matter finally solved but it’s just a rare case.