Dramaturgical action

Dramaturgical action

In sociology, a dramaturgical action is a social action that is designed to be seen by others and to improve one's public self-image.

Dramaturgy deals with the actions or personality that a person has. It relates this to a stage performer who has one personality on stage that he allows people to see (front stage) and one personality that he keeps to himself and doesn't want others to know about (back stage).

This concept has been used by Jürgen Habermas, Erving Goffman, and Harold Garfinkel, among others.

See also