On Being Seen in Unseen Places: A Dramaturgical View of the Night

This article analyses the micro-social processes of interaction that can be found in the domain of ‘everynight life’. Drawing on Goffman’s dramaturgical perspective and the symbolic interactionist tradition, it explores the negotiated meanings of social behaviour in nocturnal spaces. These definitions emerge in relation to situational rules and expectations about appropriate conduct. Using Goffman’s concept of ‘action’ and building on Becker’s model of deviance, I suggest a four-fold typology of dramaturgical zones, categorised along dimensions of visibility and legitimacy. In each zone, I identify three dramaturgical techniques used by actors and their audiences to perform and manage impressions of ambiguous nocturnal presence. Sometimes, people want to be seen at night, while at other times, they wish to be hidden. Whether and how they accomplish this depends upon a dynamic conversation of imputed motives, normative judgements and social accountability.