Occasionally, a book defies its title and provides a reading experience far different from what is expected. This is the case with Yves Winkin and Wendy Leeds-Hurwitz’s, Erving Goffman: A Critical Introduction to Media and Communication Theory. Led by the title to expect large doses of theory, interspersed with anecdotes, the reader is instead given large doses of Goffman biography before exploring his ideas. This choice begins to make sense as the book progresses because we see how Goffman’s life and work meld and how both fit his focus on media and communications, even though his formal training was in sociology.
For those who are not familiar with Goffman’s work, the introduction and the first two chapters are essential to establishing who Goffman was: one of the most prominent sociologists of the twentieth century. His most famous work, The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life, established him as a pioneer in the study of face-to-face behavior and interaction. His research has influenced a number of fields, including political science, linguistics, psychology, folkloristics, and, as the title indicates, communications. This is ironic because, as the authors point out, Goffman did not see himself as a communications theorist. In fact, he dealt directly with media studies only in the latter stages of his life, which ended in 1982. Still, the authors effectively make the case that his views are relevant in the digital age, and by the end of the text, it is hard not to see Goffman as a communications theorist.
The first two chapters of the book paint a rich portrait of Goffman the man as he evolved into Goffman the scholar. The descriptions of him are shared with at least hints of reverence, so the early parts of the book build Goffman’s legendary status. However, the picture that emerges sometimes seems to be caricature: he was either a man with a very sly sense of humor or one who insulted everyone. In either case, the early chapters allow the reader to get to know Goffman, and by knowing the man, it makes it easier to see how his views evolved.
The final three chapters focus on Goffman’s theories and how they fit into a media and communications context. Chapter 3, “Goffman in Communication,” shows how far-reaching his ideas were and how they applied to a variety of areas, including interpersonal and organizational communications, public relations, and feminist theory. Chapter 4, “Goffman’s Methods,” focuses on his ethnographic methodologies, despite the fact that many claim he did not have any, while Goffman himself didn’t speak of them directly. Still, the authors illustrate that the man did, indeed, follow a methodology in his work. Chapter 5 attempts to show readers how to see human interactions through the intellectual lens that Goffman used. The conclusion is quite brief, offering a small section suggesting how scholars should approach Goffman’s work, followed by a section detailing how everyone would benefit by being exposed to his theories.
Determining the target audience for this book is difficult. The title would seem to indicate it is aimed at entry-level students in communication. However, the opening chapters read more like a selective biography. The second half of the text shares theories complex enough to be worthy of graduate study. Despite this, and the book’s diverse focus, it is readable and accessible throughout. Though I personally approached it with an interest in the theories it promised to share, the early biographical chapters were more interesting in the overall reading experience. Goffman is an intriguing figure, worthy of study as much as his theories. This text manages to separate the man from his theories, yet it illustrates the powerful relationship between the two and how, together, they constitute a continuing influential presence.
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[Review length: 622 words • Review posted on April 22, 2015]