Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Life As Game: A Theory Elaboration, Scott Hemann

Augsburg Honors Review

Throughout history, individuals and groups have attempted to manage how they are seen in the public eye. People usually play interaction games with their audiences in order to make themselves appear more positive and desirable. Some cases, however, include individuals or groups who do not want to fit in, and who do not want to appear desirable. This analysis examines Goffman's theory of impression management with the metaphor, ltfe as game.The theory is applied to two cases of differing orgatizational level-an individual, Malmard James Keenan, and a large, complex organization, the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. Theory elaboration is an …