Identity and Social Networking

In today's lesson we have looked at two different social theories

1. Erving Goffman- The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life

• The idea that we manage our behaviour in regards to our situation to achieve our aims. 
• He distinguishes between:
• Front stage- in public places, with people we don't know that well, we are more likely to conform to what is expected of us, e.g. being polite to your boss
• Back stage- more private places, with people we are close to, we are more likely to be ourselves. This behaviour Goffman suggests is more authentic
• This can be used in terms of social media interaction. Because people feel like they are in a 'back stage' environment whilst online (being alone) they fall into the trap of not acting how they would in public, this can lead to bullying or lack of etiquette. 
• Goffman's theory can also be used to highlight behaviour on social networking sites as being 'front-stage' behaviour when people conform to the site's rules. For example users having a profile picture of themselves on Facebook.

Here is a visual summary of Goffman's theory

2. Anthony Giddens- Modernity and Self-Identity 

• He suggests that our identity is a conscious activity and as a result is malleable, which allows us to be more playful.
• Giddens says people have to be constantly self-reflexive (make decisions about who they want to be), e.g. their clothing or beliefs. 
• He also proposes the idea of the self as a project, meaning we are always working on ourselves and making changes to the biographical narrative we want to show people. 
• Unlike Goffman he does not state anything about honesty, but merely we are constantly changing due to external factors like the media, other people and experiences. 
• In regards to social networking...
• Gives us greater opportunities to construct and develop our own identities (self as a project). 
• Social networking also gives us more creative and diverse ways to do this, e.g. Tumblr