Data for Assessment 2

The link to the Facebook page that is one of my pieces of data for the Independent Research Project:

http://www.facebook.com/EmbarrassingNightclubPhotosOfTheWeek?ref=ts

Deference and Demeanor

In the reading this week from Goffman: The nature of Deference and Demeanor a great deal of issues were explored.  Through looking at deference, avoidance rituals, presentational rituals, demeanor and frame shifting I was able to gain a strong understanding about what Goffman was attempting to convey. After reading the reading, however, it raised a lot of questions for me and made me think about times in which I have witness deference and demeanor come together to ‘compliment’ each other and situations where either one or none of these were present.

After thinking about times when deference and demeanour complimented each other I was able to think of a group of examples, which aided my understanding. One specific example I could think of was when a person is pulled over by a police officer. The uniform, the police car, the lights and siren that go off from the car are all apart of the demeanour the officer has to inform people of their position within society and subconsciously informs others around how to act around them and how they should be treated.  This is then complimented by the deference of the officer through the way they act. Their professional language and professional body language also subconsciously informs the community that they demand respect and that you abide by the rules and instructions that they ask of you.

A situation that came to mind as an example to me about where demeanour and deference were absent was, in the circumstance of the actions of a fellow student, within a creative writing tutorial we share. We were both in a tutorial and the entire class was silent and completing a worksheet. There was noise coming from the other rooms, which appeared to annoy her. Instead of respectfully asking the tutor if she was allow to, go into the other room and ask them to lower the volume of the noise- she took it upon herself to do something about it. She got out of her seat and walked on top and over two rows of tables until she reached the wall where our room joined. She started loudly banging against the wall and yelling at them to “keep it down”. In this circumstance not only did she disregard the societal ‘rules’ of deference but also her demeanour was disrespectful and rude.

After the lecture, the readings and discussions within class I feel my understanding of demeanor and deference are a lot stronger and complete.

Presentation of Self

 I Commented on a blog about the Presentation of Self for this week