Goffman and Schutz on Multiple Realities

Abstract

Erving Goffman (1922–1982) was one of the foremost American sociologists in the development of qualitative approaches to the study of everyday life. He was widely read and was familiar with all contemporaneous approaches to the study of everyday life from Schutz, Garfinkel, Sacks, the symbolic interactionists, Chicago School sociologists, and others who used qualitative perspectives. In advancing his own approach he would often comment on the approaches of others, if not directly then in a subtle manner which could be understood by those concerned. As one example, I will focus on his examination of Alfred Schutz in one of his books, Frame Analysis (1974), where he critiques Schutz’s notion of multiple realities. This was one of the rare occasions when he wrote about Schutz. This paper addresses the differences between Schutz and Goffman, why they never seem to have directly encountered each other, and the kinds of alternatives Goffman offers to the study of the world of everyday life in contrast to Schutz.