戈（高）夫曼的人生经历

厄文·高夫曼生于1922年6月11日的加拿大亚伯达省曼恩维尔，是马克斯·高夫曼（Max Goffma）与安妮·高夫曼（Anne Goffman）之子，出生时原名“亚沃巴赫”（Averbach）。高夫曼一家是乌克兰裔犹太人，在19世纪至20世纪间移民至加拿大；厄文·高夫曼出生后，全家搬到多芬经营成衣事业。厄文·高夫曼有一个姐姐，法兰西丝·贝，是加拿大女演员。 1937年，高夫曼全家搬到温尼伯，15岁的厄文·高夫曼也进入当地的圣约翰科技高级中学（St. John~q~s Technical High School）就读。

1939年，厄文·高夫曼考进曼尼托巴大学，主修化学。期间他曾中断学业，搬到加拿大首都渥太华，进入约翰·葛里森成立的加拿大国家电影局制片工厂工作，并在偶遇著名社会学家丹尼斯·让后激发对社会学的兴趣。这也促使高夫曼离开曼尼托巴大学，转学至多伦多大学，师事查尔斯·赫特与雷·伯怀斯特尔，1945年于该校取得社会学、人类学双学士学位。之后，高夫曼进入芝加哥大学，分别在1949年和1953年取得硕士、博士学位，其博士论文题目为〈对描述经验反应的一些特质〉（Communication Conduct in an Island Community）[1]:35-36。为了完成博士论文，高夫曼在1949年至1953年5月间搬到苏格兰昔德兰群岛中的安斯特岛，在岛上精神病院搜集民族志资料[1]:35。 1952年，高夫曼与安洁莉卡·乔特（Angelica Choate）结婚，并在1953年生下长子汤玛斯（Thomas）。1964年，安洁莉卡·乔特因精神疾病自杀身亡。

在学术工作之外，高夫曼热衷赌博，且经常出入股票市场；他曾为了兴趣和民族志研究，而在拉斯维加斯当赌场经理。 1981年，高夫曼再婚，对象是社会语言学家吉莉安·山可夫；隔年生下长女艾莉丝（Alice），她日后也成为社会学家，任教于威斯康辛大学麦迪逊分校，从事费城黑人社区的都市民族志研究。1982年11月20日，厄文·高夫曼在费城因胃癌过世，时年60岁。

Dramaturgy

Dramaturgy is a sociological perspective commonly used in microsociological accounts of social interaction in everyday life. The term was first adapted into sociology from the theatre by Erving Goffman, who developed most of the related terminology and ideas in his 1959 book, The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. Kenneth Burke, whom Goffman would later acknowledge as an influence, had earlier presented his notions of dramatism in 1945, which in turn derives from Shakespeare. However, the fundamental difference between Burke~q~s and Goffman~q~s view is that Burke believed that life was in fact theatre, whereas Goffman viewed theatre as a metaphor. If we imagine ourselves as directors observing what goes on in the theatre of everyday life, we are doing what Goffman called dramaturgical analysis, the study of social interaction in terms of theatrical performance.

In dramaturgical sociology it is argued that the elements of human interactions are dependent upon time, place, and audience. In other words, to Goffman, the self is a sense of who one is, a dramatic effect emerging from the immediate scene being presented.

Goffman forms a theatrical metaphor in defining the method in which one human being presents itself to another based on cultural values, norms, and beliefs. Performances can have disruptions (actors are aware of such), but most are successful. The goal of this presentation of self is acceptance from the audience through carefully conducted performance. If the actor succeeds, the audience will view the actor as he or she wants to be viewed.

A dramaturgical action is a social action that is designed to be seen by others and to improve one~q~s public self-image. In addition to Erving Goffman, this concept has been used by Jürgen Habermas and Harold Garfinkel, among others.（Wikipedia）