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Identity as theatre?:Appiah, Goffman, and the Dramaturgy of Self
Title / Series / Name
Philosophy and Public Issues
Publication Volume
10
Publication Issue
2
Pages
Authors
Editors
Keywords
URI
https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14018/28390
Abstract
This paper identifies the benefits and weaknesses of viewing identity as a form of theatre. Kwame Anthony Appiah (2018, 2005) repeatedly refers to collective identities as ‘scripts’ for everyday life. Identities help us ‘perform’ and ‘act’ the different ‘roles’ that we have in our lives. This account of how people interact borrows many terms usually found in the theatre: performances, roles, acts, scripts. Together, these dramaturgical elements comprise a personal story of who we are, where we come from, and who we want to be. This view of the self corresponds with an idea about identity that is prominent and popular in modern culture, namely that our identity is a narrative identity. What are the merits of looking at identity through this dramaturgical lens? What ideas do these metaphors reveal about identity? Why is the narrative conception commonly accepted in contemporary culture? And what are the drawbacks of looking at identity as theatre?
Topic
Publisher
Place of Publication
Type
Journal article
Date
2020