Strategic Interaction

by Erving Goffman

The two essays in this classic work by sociologist Erving Goffman deal with the calculative, gamelike aspects of human interaction. Goffman examines the strategy of words and deeds; he uses the term "strategic interaction" to describe gamelike events in which an individual's situation is fully dependent on the move of one's opponent and in which both players know this and have the wit to use this awareness for advantage. Goffman aims to show that strategic interaction can be isolated analytically from the general study of communication and face-to-face interaction. The first essay addresses expression games, in which a participant spars to discover the value of information given openly or unwittingly by another. The author uses vivid examples from espionage literature and high-level political intrigue to show how people mislead one another in the information game. Both observer and observed create evidence that is false and uncover evidence that is real. In "Strategic Interaction," the book's second essay, action is the central concern, and expression games are secondary. Goffman makes clear that often, when it seems that an opponent sets off a course of action through verbal communication, he really has a finger on your trigger, your chips on the table, or your check in his bank. Communication may reinforce conduct, but in the end, action speaks louder. Those who gamble with their wits, and those who study those who do, will find this analysis important and stimulating.

Genres: Sociology, Nonfiction

160 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1970

About the author

Erving Goffman was a Canadian-born American sociologist, social psychologist, and writer, considered by some "the most influential American sociologist of the twentieth century".
In 2007, The Times Higher Education Guide listed him as the sixth most-cited author of books in the humanities and social sciences.
Goffman was the 73rd president of the American Sociological Association. His best-known contribution to social theory is his study of symbolic interaction. This took the form of dramaturgical analysis, beginning with his 1956 book The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. Goffman's other major works include Asylums (1961), Stigma (1963), Interaction Ritual (1967), Frame Analysis (1974), and Forms of Talk (1981). His major areas of study included the sociology of everyday life, social interaction, the social construction of self, social organization (framing) of experience, and particular elements of social life such as total institutions and stigmas.

Reviews

[William Bahr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book in the early 1970s and underlined it extensively. I recently picked it up again to update my own book on strategy, just to ensure I didn't leave anything out.

There are many interesting scenarios detailed in the book, and the editorial reviews nicely overview the moves and counter-moves. However, given that I dogeared the page of my favorite comment, I thought I'd quote the important lines here: "He [the game player] should exhaustively enumerate the distinctively different courses of action open to the opponent as a response to each of his own possible moves, and in light of these settle on his own best course of action." While this may be obvious to some, it's an important concept no successful strategist can forget and one he might often need to accomplish through writing/recording and diagramming.

Bottom line from a fellow author, Goffman's book is an excellent and classic work on strategy as viewed through game theory!

[Shea]

dry academic, but interesting early writing about the study and analysis of communication.

[Luca Gatto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Questo libro sono due saggi di Goffman, uno sui giochi d’espressione e l’altro sull’interazione strategica. Per quanto riguarda la prima parte, il saggio ruota intorno all’analisi delle modalità di comunicazione non verbale e da quello che si può trarre dal suo studio. Goffman utilizza la figura della spia come esempio più lampante per esplorare le sue teorie e il gioco gli riesce, rendendo più interessante il saggio e più godibili le sue tesi. Nel secondo saggio, quello sull’interazione strategica, viene utilizzala la teoria dei giochi per spiegare le “mosse” che un giocatore è portato a compiere quando si relaziona con un altro soggetto/giocatore. Il secondo saggio è più scorrevole e godibile del primo. L’impianto teorico è ben strutturato e risulta convincete, anche se alla fine si perde un pochino di chiarezza.

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scrittura magnifica. Nonostante il libro sia breve ho impiegato qualche mese per finirlo. È pregno di informazioni. E Goffman riesce a spiegarle in maniera limpida, non confusionaria. Ripetitivo al punto giusto per fermare alcuni concetti utili alla comprensione, senza dover rileggere più volte uno stesso paragrafo.

[szymborskalyte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forever the intuitionist ne plus ultra.