...on Transparency...

“…individuals present their selves in a calculated and often contrived way. They do this to provide a favourable impression of themselves.”

I just had my sociology mid term on Thursday – so I though I would share a bit about how it has been relating quite nicely to everyday life.

Erving Goffman developed an international representation for his “dramaturgical” approach to symbolic interactionism. There are basically 4 theoretical traditions in sociology (as I have learned so far, which isn’t much) and symbolic interactionism is essentially focused on the individual and their interactions in their environments (it’s a “micro” approach) – believing that society is created in interpersonal interactions. Anyway, getting on with the point, Goffman is pretty much famous for his whole analogy that social interaction is like life as a theatrical production. A person’s role was how a person would act; responding to the norms attached to a status/position and a person’s role performance was the person’s actual conduct. He also talked about how these roles in life were performed in different settings – the front stage being the performance for strangers or casual friends and the back stage for the close, ‘intimate’ friends.

Finally, he describes dramatic realization, which is the ability to convey sincerity of ones own claims and misrepresentation – the creation of a false impression through impersonation.

So, what’s the point?

Well, it’s kind of sad to think that we are so good at pretending to be a certain person – so good to the point where that role is all that is expected of us and anything different would be unacceptable. So good to the point where it is totally comfortable to act a certain way and always be able to meet those specific expectations that people want us to live up to. So good to the point where there are tones of people crowding on to our front stage and so good to the point where we hardly let anyone onto that back stage of our little world.

The point is that…saying who you are doesn’t make who you are.

It goes so much more beyond that. Words are so moot. I can make enough claims about who I was, who I am and who I am trying to become – but what can I actually show for those words if my actions totally conflict with what I say?

I’m not trying to preach about faith and deeds. I’m not even trying to accuse anyone of anything…because I’m included in this whole weirdness of being.

I just think it is good to ask questions. And I learned a bit about this on Friday night.

What is your philosophy about life?

Think about it for a second.

He came to this conclusion that really struck me, that most people – when you boil it all down to the simplest terms – are existential hedonists, merely living in this world, assigning meaning to life along the way and doing as they please, as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else around them. What do you think?

Gordon Pennington asked that question on Friday night. He was one cool dude. He is an advertising/media strategist, who was the former Director of marketing for Tommy Hilfiger, and he talked to us a bit about the media, identity and his own experiences (he has one crazy story to tell :P)

What is your identity…who are you?

And if you can answer that…what shaped your identity? Your family? Your friends? The media? What are the elements that have put who you are together?

I guess in a very long-winded way, I’m trying to say how important transparency is. I know some of you have already come to this realization ;) but I guess I am finally reckoning its essentiality in my life.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying you should be totally “transparent” in the sense where you spill out all your life struggles with every random person you meet. I’m not saying that at all. All I’m saying is that what I’ve learned (from the sermon this morning :P) is that true authenticity requires transparency. There can only be one person, which leaves no room for dramatic realization or misrepresentation. I’ve also learned (from my Campus Crusade for Christ girls group :P) that vulnerability breeds transparency. You are putting yourself out there, when you are being genuine – which takes much more risk than acting like someone else.

So…who are you?



“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.”

-John 1:12-13-

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”

-1 John 3:1-

:)