This entry examines the academic biography, scholarly contributions, and impact and relevance of Erving Goffman. Goffman (1922–1982) was a sociologist known for his work on impression management, the construction of the self and identity, stigma, total institutions, and his dramaturgical theory of social interaction. His work often utilized ethnographic and qualitative methods such as those common in anthropology. His major works include The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life, Asylums, Stigma, and Frame Analysis. In addition to his significant contributions to theory, Goffman served as the 1981–1982 President of the American Sociological Association. The enduring influence of Goffman’s oeuvre on psychology is noted.