Humanities Review
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Humanities Review

Narodziny humanisty. Doświadczenie „teatru życia codziennego” i „instytucji totalnych” w pracach i biografii Ervinga Goffmana

2025, 69, No. 4

Elżbieta Czykwin

0000-0002-1297-1926

Christian Theological Academy in Warsaw

Nina Witoszek

0000-0002-5354-4664

Civitas University in Warsaw

DOI

10.31338/2657-599X.ph.2025-4.11

Publication date

28.06.2026

Publishing model

hybrid

License type

CC BY 4.0 Int.

Field

arts and humanities

Discipline

philosophy, history, archeology, linguistics, literary studies, culture and religion studies, arts studies, polish studies

Language of publication

Polish

Number of views:0

Number of downloads:0

Crossref citations:0

Altmetric score:0

Abstract

The article is a pioneering attempt to show the close connections between the works of the great luminary of sociology, Erving Goffman, and his life journey – from a “rational scientist” to an “empathetic humanist.” The authors discuss Goffman’s key concepts, such as the “theatre of life”, “stigma,” and “total institutions,” and link them to his personal experiences: his status as an Other, his mastery of the art of pretending, and his response to the illness and death of close partners. Goffman’s metamorphosis from a hardcore scientist to humanist is presented here as intertwined with his evolution from a misogynist into a sensitive feminist, from a cool, detached researcher into a compassionate and wise mentor. The article also points to intriguing affinities between Goffman and the Polish writer, Witold Gombrowicz – a topic that calls for a separate study.

Keywords:

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