First published 1975
Erving Goffman examines how people organize their understanding of everyday experiences through invisible frameworks that shape perception and meaning. He argues that social life operates through multiple layers of interpretation, where individuals constantly shift between different modes of understanding depending on context. Goffman demonstrates how these analytical frames determine what counts as real, relevant, or significant in any given situation. He explores how people negotiate between competing interpretations of the same events, showing that reality itself becomes a matter of which frame dominates at any moment. The book reveals how social actors manipulate these frameworks to create meaning, establish authority, and navigate complex interactions. Goffman offers readers a systematic method for understanding how interpretation works in social life, providing tools to recognize the hidden structures that organize human experience and communication.
Genres: 20th-century, sociology, anthropology, non-fiction, communication, academia, academic, cultural-studies
Vibes: analytical, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: academic, analytical
Period: 20th-Century
608 pages · Paperback · Penguin Books