Week 5 - The self

This is the first sociology course I have taken and it is making me think much differently about interpersonal relations that I have everyday.  I found this weeks topic of self presentation particularly interesting because it makes me wonder why I do the things that I do, from getting dressed in the morning to staring down in class so that I don't get chosen to read a response out loud.  My favorite concept from Goffman's reading this week is that of asymmetrical and symmetrical relations.  Thinking back to high school, I remember having many levels of relations with teachers, classmates, friends, and family.  I had symmetrical relationships with my friends and many classmates, but when in front of my family or friend's parents, I portrayed an entirely different self, and participated in asymmetrical relationships.  At school we swore, bragged about partying and drinking, and often back-talked classmates and teachers.  The impression my mom had of me when I got home from school each day was entirely different and similar to what teachers and other higher authority figures thought of me because of the way I acted in front of them.  I was always aware of the different ways I portrayed myself in different social contexts but Goffman has helped me identify and understand these self expressions more critically.