Professor Erving Goffman

Canadian-born sociologist Erving Goffman was considered the most influential American sociologist of the 20th century. After completing his undergraduate studies in sociology and anthropology at UC, he moved to the United States to complete a PhD at the University of Chicago. He joined the faculty at the University of California, Berkeley, and, later, at the University of Pennsylvania, where he was Benjamin Franklin Professor of Anthropology and Sociology.

Goffman made significant contributions to the study of face-to-face interaction, the dramaturgical approach to human interaction, microsociology, game theory and linguistics. Goffman was the author of several important books in his field, including The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life, Behaviour in Public Spaces and Forms of Talk. He served as president of the American Sociological Association, was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and, in 2007, he was listed by The Times Higher Education Guide as the sixth most-cited author in the humanities and social sciences.