The Street Goffman Analysis

In regards to black men coming into the country from the Caribbean, these depictions of selves are altered. Instead the man’s first self is portrayed through his interactions with friends, family and others who identify as Caribbean, whereas the second self is how he acts with law enforcement or people who are granted some form of authority. The second self involves a change in vocal expressions, body posture and a change in personality traits to come across as “more Canadian” when conforming to the preferred image of “The Street”.

Anderson’s code can be used as a general framework when analyzing “The Street” as a instrument police use to govern marginalized groups, however Goffman’s presentation of the self consists of a framework that makes sense of why it is important to attempt to manage impressions when interacting with law enforcement.

Goffman’s describes human action being understood by seeing people as actors on a social stage whom create an impression of themselves for an audience. Black men put on a “front” in the social world to project a certain image of themselves and this is the social identity that the individual wants others to perceive them

Blacks are more likely to be carded while on the street, more likely to be arrested in comparison to his white counterpart and are more likely to receive a harsher sentence than a White man for the same crime committed. In Fassin’s ethnography, racial disparity begins when Black men are youth. The anti-crime squads used moral violence against minority groups to instil fear within the youths and reinforce social order. Moral violence is invisible however it’s effects are long lasting. The purpose in law enforcement conditioning Black youth through surveillance, physical and moral violence is so that they can internalize a marginalized mentality so they feel trapped in their oppression resulting in easier