Summary
Erving Goffman’s *Frame Analysis* argues that individuals use social "frames" to understand and categorize situations, determining "What is going on here?" and "Under what circumstances do we think things are real?" This work offers a method for analyzing the organization of experience by examining the frameworks people employ to make sense of their social world. Goffman outlines how these frames are constructed, maintained, and transformed, providing a detailed account of the social mechanisms that enable individuals to interpret and participate in reality.
The book offers a systematic approach to understanding how individuals establish the perceived reality of social events. It explains how our understanding of what is real is contingent upon the interpretive frames we apply. Readers learn to identify and analyze the underlying structures that guide social perception and interaction, revealing the cognitive and social processes involved in defining situations.
Key concepts
- Frames — Socially shared interpretive guides that individuals use to understand and categorize situations.
- Organization of experience — The structured ways individuals make sense of and define social reality.
- "What is going on here?" — The fundamental question individuals answer using social frames to interpret a situation.
- "Under what circumstances do we think things are real?" — The question Goffman explores regarding the conditions under which social events are accepted as genuine.
From the book
Description: Erving Goffman will influence the thinking and perceptions of generations to come. In Frame Analysis, the brilliant theorist writes about the ways in which people determine their answers to the questions "What is going on here?" and "Under what circumstances do we think things are real?"