front stage

Meaning: Erving Goffman's dramaturgical approach compares social life to theater. The front stage is where a person acts out a social role in front of an audience. There the person practices impression management, controlling dress, speech, manner and setting to create a desired image. Behavior on the front stage tends to follow norms and role expectations. The back stage is the more private region, away from the audience, where people can relax, rehearse or step out of the role.

On the MCAT: A passage usually describes someone behaving differently in two settings. A typical example is a restaurant server who is courteous and professional with diners, then jokes and complains with coworkers in the kitchen. You may be asked which setting is the front stage, or which concept explains the shift (dramaturgical approach, impression management, role performance). Questions may also ask you to tell dramaturgy apart from other interaction theories, such as symbolic interactionism or social constructionism.

Common confusion: Students treat front stage as a fixed physical place. It is defined by the presence of an audience and a performance, so the same room can be front stage with guests and back stage when they leave. Front stage also does not mean lying. It is the ordinary presentation of self that people use to meet expectations. To decide, ask whether someone is managing the impression of an audience.