Self, script and situation Identity in a world of ICTs Bibi van den Berg Erasmus University, Faculty of Philosophy Room H5-13, P.O. Box 1738 3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands vandenberg@fwb.eur.nl www.situatedself.org Abstract. In my paper I will elucidate why ‘situation’ is a constructive unit of analysis for the study of both identity and the impact of technologies (particularly ICTs) on identity. Further, I will use a situational perspective to show some of the ways in which the ‘definition of situations’ may be affected by such technologies. I will conduct a conceptual analysis of the ‘definition of a situation’, looking into the notion of ‘scripts’, to show how alterations in scripts lead to changes in the ‘definition of the situation’, and these in turn lead to shift in the development and expression of identity. 1 Introduction There are many ways of approaching the study of human identity. One of them is to focus on the relationship between human interaction and identity. This approach has been used by symbolic interactionists such as George Herbert Mead [12], Herbert Blumer [2], Tamotsu Shibutani [17] and Erving Goffman [9]. Goffman’s theory of identity forms the starting point of my research. In The presentation of self in everyday life [9] Goffman develops what has come to be known as the ‘dramaturgy metaphor’ [10] or the ‘dramaturgical perspective’ [4]. In search of an answer to the question ‘what is identity?’ Goffman turns to everyday, small-scale social engagements between people. His point of departure is the idea that the complex question of what identity is, is best tackled by studying its expression and formation in concrete micro-social interactions between people. For Goffman, identity literally comes about in and through social interactions – it is the ‘dramatic effect’ of such interactions. When they engage in social interactions with one another, he argues, people conduct ‘performances’ – they assume a ‘role’ and try to create as favorable an ‘impression’ as possible [9]. There is a distinction between the roles we play when we are ‘front stage’, i.e. before an audience, and the way we behave when we are in our ‘backstage region’, i.e. within the privacy of our home environment, where we can rehearse for future performances, rest and relax [9].