(Mount Saint Vincent University, 2014-08) Dell, Jennifer; Thurlow, Amy
This thesis presents Erving Goffman’s dramaturgy as a useful framework to advance our
understanding of the functionality of communication. While Goffman’s work has been
acknowledged and accepted as contributing to the understanding of interactive
communication, often a comprehensive understanding of Goffman’s dramaturgy is absent
from communication theory textbooks. In this thesis, Goffman’s dramaturgy is applied to
an act of public communication to provide a strong argument for an increased and more
comprehensive inclusion of his work in the field of communication studies. Using a critical
discourse analysis (CDA) methodology coupled with Goffman’s dramaturgy, this thesis
examines the performance of Ed Burkhardt during an impromptu press conference held in
Lac-Mégantic, after the train derailment. It finds the CEO’s performance is strained by his
selected role, normative pressures to conform to audience expectations, and a failed
attempt to influence the frame. CDA is discovered to be a suitable methodology to be used
with Goffman’s dramaturgy because it encourages the researcher to include contemplations
at both a micro and macro level.