Professor Jackson left us with an interesting question during our last discussion...

 

"Is Goffman a cynic?"

It's hard to say what Goffman's intentions were while writing The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life, but I think there are definitely some cynical aspects to him and some aspects that aren't as cynical. 

Goffman definitely generalizes about different classes of people and talks about them as if a certain behavior is common among all the people in that specific group. For instance, he brings up the men vs. women example throughout the book and although the book was written in the 50's, it seems as though he has something against women. He talks a lot about how women put up a front with men, sometimes acting dumb or asking for help when they really don't need it. In this way, I think Goffman can be seen as a cynic because he puts women in a negative light and generalizes about their behavior. I'm sure not all women in the 50's behaved in the same way. 

However, although he does generalize about women, I think he brings up a good point. There are definitely women out there who put up a certain front to be viewed in a specific way. I saw it all the time in high school and I still see it today. Some women, in search for attention, do put up a front that will attract this kind of attention. In this way, Goffman is simply commenting on what he's experienced and may not mean it in a cynical way. 

I don't think I really think Goffman is either cynical or not cynical. Depending on how you view the way he writes, it can be taken either way. I think I am still a little torn in how to interpret his writing. A lot of the times, it's the intial shock what what he says that makes me think he's cynical, but if i take a step back and ask why Goffman wrote a particular point, it sometimes seems less cynical and more a reflection of what he's observed.