Impression Management is something you are engaged in any and every time you are with other people. You literally have no time out, unless you are alone. This is not because you’re always putting on...

Impression Management is something you are engaged in any and every time you are with other people. You literally have no time out, unless you are alone. This is not because you’re always putting on an act; of course there are some people in your life you’ll feel quite comfortable with, and it is with those people you’ll let down your guard, “be yourself,” so to speak. But you are still always aware that even those people are “reading” you. That’s normal. Everything we do when we are with other people is a communication, either verbal or nonverbal, so we are constantly interpreting those communications as well. Everything is part of the interaction ritual.
______________________________________________

This unit’s discussion has 4 parts (read them all before you start):

1. Observe yourself over 5 minutes of social interaction.Your should aim to observe yourself in great detail.

2. Leave the interaction, andimmediately(like over the next 15 minutes) take detailed notes on

• how you presented your line


• any face work you did in the interaction


• any face work you think you might have observed from the other person in the interaction.


• any corrective work done by anyone

If your interaction ended up nondescript, having basically none of the above, observe another interaction. 5 minutes is a brief time period, and it’s easy to find opportunities. Getting coffee at Starbuck’s, for example, is an ideal opportunity.

Aim for at least 1 solid page ofsingle-spacednotes. I know, this sounds like an awful lot for just 5 minutes of interaction, but try to get this much. It depends on the detail you use. I think you can do it. When you look for the interactional detail, it’s there. Reaching for this level of detail will make you a much more sensitive observer.

3. Write a discussion post about how we do impression management in everyday life.Analyze data from your 5 minute observation; use Newman’s chapter on “Supporting Identity: The Presentation of Self” (Turner & Stets could be useful too; use as desired) to support your analysis.