Interaction Ritual - Essays on Face-to-Face Behavior [Paperback]

Erving Goffman (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Pantheon; 1st Pantheon Books ed edition (January 12, 1982)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0394706315
• ISBN-13: 978-0394706313
• Product Dimensions: 4.4 x 0.8 x 7.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #35,019 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Erving Goffman was Benjamin Franklin Professor of Anthropology and Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania until his death in 1982. He is recognized as one of the world's foremost social theorists and much of his work still remains in print. Among his classic books are The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life; Interaction Ritual; Stigma; Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity; and Frame Analysis. William B. Helmreich is a professor of sociology at the CUNY Graduate Center and City College. He has written Against All Odds, The Enduring Community, Saving Children, and The Things They Say Behind Your Back all available from Transaction.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Text, November 6, 2009

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S. Pactor "reader" (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Interaction Ritual - Essays on Face-to-Face Behavior (Paperback)

People call Goffman a sociologist, but the more I read of him, the more I see him as a philosopher. I mean, George Herbert Mead is considered a philosopher and not a sociologist, right? In my day-to-day life, I find Goffman's observations about ritual human behavior and face-to-face interaction to be endlessly useful. Almost every day I think about something he's written in one of his books. His style is not overly pedantic, and you can read through any of his books without specialized education.

Sure, the 50s/60s examples he gives are sort of dated, but so what- we all watch Mad Men, don't we?

29 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Needs a 21st-century filter, January 25, 2004

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Marcy L. Thompson (Sammamish, WA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Interaction Ritual - Essays on Face-to-Face Behavior (Paperback)

Edgar Schein recommended this book, so I read it. I'm glad I did. Goffman is fascinated by what happens when people engage one another face-to-face, and the essays in this book synthesize many years of observation, research and deep thinking on this topic. There is much to learn in the book, and it's even well-written and filled with interesting anecdotes that illustrate his points.

However, the book was written at a time when psychologists made no distinction between the social actiions of men and women. In this book, "a person" is always male. It's easy to see that the book was written long before Deborah Tannen came along, and it suffers from that.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Goffman is a genius, December 14, 2008

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Jinglebell (Michigan) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Interaction Ritual - Essays on Face-to-Face Behavior (Paperback)

As a communication major, I used this book frequently when I write papers and do research. If you want to know about concepts such as "face", you will have to read this original. But I don't think it's a book for everybody, that's the only reason I gave it 4 star.