Dmitri N. Shalin, a Professor of Sociology at the University of Nevada, sheds light on the enigmatic life of Erving Goffman, one of sociology's greats. They explore Goffman's immigrant roots and how personal tragedies shaped his sociological theories. Shalin discusses the significance of the Erving Goffman Archives in revealing Goffman's insights on mental health, identity, and social dynamics. The conversation dives into Goffman’s evolving perspectives on gender and the poignant impact of his wife’s struggles on his work, providing a rich, humanized view of the scholar.
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Shalin's Early Goffman Encounter
Dmitri Shalin first encountered Goffman's ideas in 1970s Soviet Russia through gifted books.
His Russian-Jewish background and Soviet realities deeply resonated with Goffman's concepts of face and presentation.
insights INSIGHT
Goffman's Upbringing Shapes Theory
Goffman's upbringing in a divided Winnipeg Jewish family influenced his theories on social presentation.
Russian mythology of Potemkin villages shaped his imagery about societal facades and interaction.
insights INSIGHT
Warner's Influence and Goffman's Shift
Lloyd Warner influenced Goffman's early work, especially class status symbols.
Yet Goffman's later work showed a shift toward interaction and face-saving distinct from Warner's structural focus.
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We have long lacked a biography of Erving Goffman. Partly this can be explained by Goffman’s direction for his papers not to be opened to researchers after his death. This meant those who may wish to write Goffman’s biography had a lack of material to draw upon. Dmirti Shalin, author of Erving Manuel Goffman: Biographical Sources of Sociological Imagination (2025, Routledge), has overcome this by developing the Erving Goffman Archives, a collection of correspondence, family histories, syllabi and reminisces which allows for this book to exist as the first true biography of the great scholar. In providing the details of Goffman’s life, Shalin has provided new ways of looking at Goffman, showing how factors like his upbringing in a family of Russian Jewish immigrants, his relationship with, and the sad suicide of, his wife, his interactions with colleagues and his everyday interactions shaped his sociology. Along the way we are encouraged to look anew at Goffman’s work on topics such as the presentation of self, mental health, gambling and gender. In doing so, we learn much about Goffman not just as a scholar, but as a man.
In our conversation we cover the whole of Goffman’s life, moving from his youth and onto the significant points in his career and their impact upon his sociology. We also discuss the archive and how it came to be and discuss what Goffman’s legacy maybe for the future of democratic politics.
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