ABSTRACT
This chapter suggests that theatricality and sociality are not mere metaphoric mirrors of each other. Rather, they share an essential synonymy that helps us understand some general cultural psychological questions about the nature of self and its interaction with others. The first type of situational interaction is in a sense the most primary and elemental, since it is the most proximal to the person, the building block of society. Intimate-informal describes being among family and friends in situations in which most people consider they equal so that rank loses importance. Togetherness, emotional attachment, and spontaneity characterize these situations. The final interactional situation can be understood as being outsideor in a region exterior to one's group as seen from a hidden position and implies disorder. Free from the judgmental gaze of the unit/group, it allows the discarding of practices of self-presentation while one is among strangers. There is little need for impression management or building fronts.
