User:Volleyballgirl20/Identity formation

Dramaturgical Sociology Theory
Dramaturgical Sociology Theory, or Dramaturgy, is a sociological perspective on how the many aspects of social interaction play into one perceived and overall identity.

History:
Dramaturgical Sociology Theory was mainly adapted by Erving Goffman. He was inspired to research this theory by reading William Shakespeare's play, As You Like It. In his piece, The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life, his insight on identity formation and interaction spread the idea of Dramaturgy.

Theory:
In Goffman's book, The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life, he uses multiple facets of a stage play to show how people form false or exaggerated identities to change or maintain a good perception or meet an expectation in that situation. People form these identities to shroud their true feelings and overall identities.

Stages:
Goffman draws connections to the different members engaging in a screenplay, the interaction takes place on the stage or front area. The two parties that are interacting are the performer and the audience. The actor in front puts on the act or identity he has been rehearsing. In the backstage, he works with others to reflect and prepare for his next time they need to act. When the performer is completely offstage, they are thinking about what occurred in the previous stages but are not actively preparing for the act.

Modern Interpretations:
Further observations that have been made with the emergence of social media have further expanded Goffman's work. On social media people are creating and forming other identities, and interacting with their audience whether it be potential employers or friends, in order to maintain and create a positive perception.

Affect Control Theory
Affect Control Theory says that culture and social behavior are connected through the belief that social concepts have fixed meanings which then create expectations for interaction. Affect Control Theory than predicts that people will try to act in a way that fulfils these expectations.

Beginnings
David R. Heise first introduced his idea of Affect Control Theory in 1977 as a way to explain behavior and interaction in a social context. Affect Control Theory was built on George Herbert's Meads concept of the self based on the "I" and "me" and the cognitive meanings shared. Heise in his theory uses Affect as the shared medium.

Expansion on Affect Control Theory
People create shared meaning in physical items such as clothes or buildings. These Meanings make put imprints on individuals that elicit common responses when the items are shown. There are three suppositions that this instance of symbolic interaction create.


 * Artifacts and Social Identity.
 * Alignment of the meaning of symbols and the identities they represent.
 * Social situations consider and manipulate impressions and public relationships.

Social Structure on Identity Formation
Social Structure refers to how societies are arranged in a fixed way. Social structure involves different social roles, norms, and statuses.

Socialization
The process of socialization teaches individuals the social roles they will need to become functioning members of groups and societies.

Social Norms
Social norms involve informal rules that regulate and shape the way individuals act in different groups. In these groups, the factors that members use to classify themselves differently from other group members strengthens personal identity.

Social Status and Beliefs
Status refers to the position of an individual in a group or institution based on the roles they possess. There are different levels of status, which each level having different degrees of authority. There are different beliefs associated with different levels of social status based on the social worth of those who occupy each status. These beliefs may affect how people perceive one another and an individual's own self-evaluation.

Social Identity Approach
The social identity approach comes from Henri Tajfel and John Turner and explains that social identity consists of an individual knowing that they belong to a specific social group, and the emotional and value significance that comes with being in that group.