Alone With Goffman: Impression Management and the TV Series

Alone is an American reality television series on the History Channel. The show features 10 contestants who are vying to outlast each other while living off land. Notably, there no camera crew, and must film themselves everyday; production team creates a weekly program that marks journey of individual. This study sought understand degree which participants able shape their public identities through video footage they shot was subsequently edited in Alone’s cutting room. research employed explorative case methodology, allowed them watch hours publicly available official clips from Channel’s YouTube channel. analysis driven by theory (Goffman’s Presentation Self conceptual framework) inductive thematic analysis, took place cyclical fashion interpretation meetings at end six were watched. findings first showed performing multiple audiences, such as families, public, producers, even God. Second, boundary between frontstage backstage highly blurred. Third, continue shaping “repairing” own social media outlets after program. Finally, theme gendered approaches outdoors shone ways very complex, overlapping, non-binary. There undeniably strong “impression management tension” selves wanted project narratives constructed program’s producers.