Compare and Contrast Goffman’s and Foucault’s Explanations of How Social Order Is Made and Remade
There are many theories regarding how social order is produced and reproduced , but this essay will focus on the similarities and differences between the two contrasting accounts of how social order is produced, provided by Goffman and Foucault. Social order is the term used to describe the unspoken rules of conduct in everyday life, or a stable social situation in which connections are maintained without change or if change occurs it is in a predictable way. (Taylor, 2009, p. 173) These differing views can be related to the governance of traffic presented in the case studies of the Buchanan report and Monderman’s thesis. This is a useful and relevant example which can be applied to the general theories which need covering first of all.
To start with an overview of Goffman’s theory. Goffman studied what he termed interactional order, that is how the functions of ritual and order of every individual member of society, in everyday life, interact to form social order. He suggested the metaphor of the stage, where people play roles in specific everyday situations using trust and tact, the control of bodily gestures, face and gaze and the use of language to set the parameters of their social interactions. People individually participate in these rules of conduct to produce social order. Goffman argues that it is these interactions, or the interactional order that constructs society. (Silva, 2009) Where do these ‘rules of conduct’ come from? How are people able to share them in common with each other?
Whereas Foucault examined how individuals are shaped and organised through authoritative knowledge, particularly that of the social and political institutions . He was interested in the idea that social order was imagined through the framework provided by discourse. That is a set of ideas that are publically accepted as the norm so allowing them to be talked about and used to normalise conduct. Discourse creates identity positions and so presents certain views of
To start with an overview of Goffman’s theory. Goffman studied what he termed interactional order, that is how the functions of ritual and order of every individual member of society, in everyday life, interact to form social order. He suggested the metaphor of the stage, where people play roles in specific everyday situations using trust and tact, the control of bodily gestures, face and gaze and the use of language to set the parameters of their social interactions. People individually participate in these rules of conduct to produce social order. Goffman argues that it is these interactions, or the interactional order that constructs society. (Silva, 2009) Where do these ‘rules of conduct’ come from? How are people able to share them in common with each other?
Whereas Foucault examined how individuals are shaped and organised through authoritative knowledge, particularly that of the social and political institutions . He was interested in the idea that social order was imagined through the framework provided by discourse. That is a set of ideas that are publically accepted as the norm so allowing them to be talked about and used to normalise conduct. Discourse creates identity positions and so presents certain views of