G.D.H. Cole and British Sociology: A Study in Semi-Alienation explores the life and work of G.D.H. Cole, a prominent figure in British sociology. The book delves into Cole's contributions to the field, examining his intellectual development and his influence on the discipline. It also analyzes Cole's relationship with other sociologists and his role in shaping the development of British sociology. The book provides a comprehensive overview of Cole's work and its lasting impact on the field. It is a valuable resource for scholars and students interested in the history of British sociology.
In this landmark work, Erving Goffman uses the imagery of theatre to portray the importance of human social interaction. He argues that individuals manage their self-presentation to control the impressions others form about them, treating social interactions as performances with settings, props, and audiences. Goffman's dramaturgical approach highlights the fluid and consciously maintained nature of human character, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a coherent definition of the situation in social interactions. The book is considered one of the most important sociological works of the 20th century, receiving the American Sociological Association's MacIver award in 1961 and being listed as the tenth most important sociological book of the 20th century by the International Sociological Association in 1998.
Erving Goffman has always seen as somewhat of an enigma by sociologists and historians of the discipline. In his provocative new book Erving Goffman and the Cold War (2023, Lexington) Gary Jaworski suggests a ‘marginal man’ trope has grown up around him, whereby Goffman is seen as an outsider, unconnected to broader debates in sociology and to the events happening around him as he wrote. Seeking to overcome this trope, Jaworski presents him instead as a sociologist ‘in, and of’ the cold war. This involves looking anew at Goffman’s work, moving away from the more frequently used concepts and looking at less studied metaphors in his work such as loyalty, provocation and secrecy. Here we see how Goffman was a perceptive sociologist of cold war America and, in so doing, can explore his connections to cold warriors, on both sides of the divide.
In our conversation we explore the ways in which looking at Goffman’s work via the cold war allows us to understand some of the underappreciated greatness of his work. Topics discussed include why lesser known texts such as Strategic Interaction and Where the Action Is are so important, the role that spies play in his work and why Goffman was such a fan of post-WWII satire.
Your host, Matt Dawson is Professor of Sociology at the University of Glasgow and the author of G.D.H. Cole and British Sociology: A Study in Semi-Alienation (2024, Palgrave Macmillan), along with other texts.
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