In my opinion, one’s “presentation” of themselves changes considerably depending on the setting. This can be easily demonstrated by considering institutions or locations where individuals are expected to behave in a certain manner. In schools, universities, and workplaces most will choose to act in a more professional and sophisticated manner. Part of the transformations people endure in social spaces are dictated by social, moral, and gender norms. By enforcing specific expectations on behavior and attitude, these places facilitate changes in people. While a student may tell jokes and laugh behind the dinner table with their family, they are less likely to present the same familiarity when talking with their professor. Similarly, the context of any interaction, its location, and the relationship between the participants play a role in how each person engages in it.
This variance can also be demonstrated with an example of actors, and more recently, media personalities. Individuals in a spotlight rarely act in the same way they do behind closed doors, as both their livelihood and public perception are hinged on creating a specific “persona”, which will further their ends. This falls in line with the concept of a front and back stage described by Goffman (Cole, 2016). In this context, one’s presentation of the self is understood as a form of “acting” (Cole, 2016). When observers are present, and individual engages in social situation, they construct a character that depends on the expectations of others. For some, it may be an attempt to please people, while for others it is an opportunity to cause shock or outrage. When there are no observers, however, individuals engage in behaviors that can be considered casual, or reflect their true self more accurately.
Reference
Cole, N. L. (2016). The Difference Between Front Stage and Back Stage Behavior. ThoughtCo. Web.