Goffman and the Godfather

700 Words3 Pages
Erving Goffman and Robert K. Merton observations upon the concept of self-presentation and norms of society are shown through in movies The Godfather and A face in the Crowd. The ideas of both sociologists are shown through the interactions of the main characters of both movies. In The godfather we are shown Francis Coppell’s interpretations of the social structure of the mafia and the role of social queues in maintaining power. These concepts can also be seen in Elia Kazan’s A Face in the crowd through one characters rise from drunken drifter to national celebrity. Both movies provide a visual rendering of social norms, self-presentation and the social hierarchy, in American society. In Erving Goffman’s writings upon the presentation of self in everyday life Goffman explains how, inside every social interaction people undergo a process of both self examination and manipulation while at the same time analyzing the impression made by others around them. In everyday interactions people act in a certain way to influence how they are perceived so that the get treated by others accordingly. Also Goffman proposes that to bypass actually acting in a specific manner, some people try to give the impression that they are behaving a certain way and are achieving their ends in a socially acceptable way. In Robert Merton’s article on social theory and social structure he observes the importance of social norms and culturally defined goals. These goals are organized in a hierarchal manner based on sentiment and significance. Social norms, on the other hand, are not based on technical or efficient norms towards achieving these goals. They dictate how people interact and act. Institutional norms are driven by sentimental values and socially acceptable perceptions of people’s actions in attempting to achieve their goals. The interaction between cultural goals and social norms
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