In the fourth meeting, we discussed the texts “Giving an Account of Oneself”, by Judith Butler (2005) and “The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life”, by Erving Goffman (1956). 

In the chapter “An account of oneself”, Butler analyses the construction of a self through the relation to an other.  Butler goes through different authors and theories, such as Adorno and his thoughts on Ethics; Nietsche and his focus on Self and Society and Foucault and his theory on the Regime of truth; from the critique of these perspectives, she develops her own perspective on account and accountability.

Butler defends that the self is constructed through narration, and therefore has various origins, with distinct possible versions of them. Moreover, giving an account of oneself can present different risks of exposure when facing the other. She then highlights how partial it is, given the ethical factors that surround the process of constructing the self. 

In the introduction to his book, Goffman deals with “dramaturgical problems of presenting the activity before others”. He takes a functional, or pragmatic view upon interaction between individuals. Goffman claims that any projected definition of a situation has a distinctive moral character. Any individual has a moral right to expect that others will value and treat him in a way corresponding to his or her social characteristics. Goffman also focuses on the use of power in the interactions. 

Different questions and examples were raised from the discussion of both texts. Specifically, from Butler’s perspective that there is no definitive narration on the self, we questioned the refusal to participate and to narrate the self, for example, of Arabs and Jews in distinct research. 

The topics of refusal, resistance, avoidance and delimitations of boundaries in the definition of the self was a common point of interest between the participants of the group and left room for further discussion.