Performance theory, which did much to revitalize folklore theory in the late 1960s and
1970s, owed much of its own vitality to the insight of sociological analysts, such as
Erving Goffman in his Presentation of Self in Everyday Life (1959), and other
dramaturgical theorists, who tirelessly pointed out the existence of demands for
impression management and effective presentation of self. The sociological argument
claimed that individuals desired to act in such a way as to maximize the esteem that they
received from those with whom they interacted. All social life could be analyzed from a
theoretical metaphor grounded in actors, props, settings, and backstage preparation.
Folkloristics, with its emphasis on the act of narration, proved to be a fertile ground for
this metaphor, and researchers examined the art of narration in light of the immediate contextual constraints, often examining the collaborative qualities of narration, the effects
of audience response on the content of narration, and the use of discursive practice to
achieve behavioral dominance or social status. Further, the presentation of identity
operates on a community level, as recent examinations of touristic traditions have
indicated. One of the most exemplary works in this genre is Michael Bell’s The World
from Brown’s Lounge (1983), a study of a west Philadelphia bar. Bell demonstrates how
the employers and customers use narrative strategies to achieve important ends.
Performance is, or can be, goal directed, in this case promoting sociability and supporting
the organization by creating an environment in which clients will spend money. The
fundamental goal of narrative, from this point of view, is to allow individuals to have
others respond in ways that they consider socially desirable.