Deference VS Demeanour

Goffman’s  paper ‘The nature of deference and demeanor’ was in my opinion very difficult to read and at times I found myself falling asleep. After several attempts and shuffling through mundane slabs of words, I finally reached the end of the paper and will now share with you the knowledge I have gained.

Through my understanding of the reading, I am in agreement with Goffman’s notion that we as individuals act, respond and present ourselves to different situations in such a way, that our actions are influenced by rules and implicit regulations. Such rules are perceived to be social norms and are often dependent on the context in which we are present in; they pose a significant influence on our deference and demeanor and tend to enable us to conduct ourselves accordingly to varying social and cultural contexts.

Demeanour and deference are two differing concepts however they remain interrelated with one another.  Goffman exemplifies that demeanor refers to how we as individuals act, and the image our actions portray of us to others. Demeanour can be shown through our physical and social conduct, for example the way we chose to attire ourselves in a particular setting and the degree of respect we pay to people in different contexts.

Deference is the code of conduct and rituals that control our demeanor and social interactions; it is shaped by the reactions and views others have towards the acts we perform. It affects the actions we chose to execute and is dependent on the broader social context, thus forming the social norms.

Deference and demeanor is variable and is shaped by the different social settings we are present in. For example within a church setting we would be expected to be attired modestly and endeavor to remain quiet, respectful and reverend, as this is the conduct that is socially accepted within this context. On the contrary if we were to attend a football game we would be attired more casually and it would be socially acceptable to be boisterous and use profanities.

Thus through my understanding of Goffman’s paper, deference and demeanor are complementary concepts that’s influence one another. An individual’s context and status within that context, determines the deference they should be portraying through their demeanor.

Reference:

Goffman, E 1967, ‘The nature of deference and demeanor’, in Interaction Ritual: Essays on Face-to-Face Behaviour, Pantheon Books, New York, pp47-96.