ABSTRACT
Goffman tried to understand social interaction using different metaphors, of which ritual is one of the most recurring, since it is found both at the beginning and at the end of his career. When it comes to Goffman's use of the concept of ritual, references are usually given to the essays 'On Face-Work: An Analysis of Ritual Elements in Social Interaction' (Goffman, 1955a) and 'The Nature of Deference and Demeanor' (Goffman, 1956). Goffman views ritual in approximately the same way as does the previously mentioned Firth (1972) – i.e., as 'symbolic action relating to the sacred', where the sacred object is the individual. Goffman often exemplifies the sacredness of the individual with personal actions of respect in the form of greetings and politeness, and warns that these perhaps most often correspond to the interactions of the middle class.
