Final answer:
Social interaction can be compared to theatrical performance, where individuals play roles and adjust their behavior according to the social context, aligning with Erving Goffman's dramaturgical analysis. This suggests that behavior in social interactions is more like actors in a play rather than animal behavior.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question at hand asks whether people's behavior in social interactions is more akin to animal behavior or to actors playing a role in a theatrical production. Sociologist Erving Goffman's concept of dramaturgical analysis posits that social interaction is like a theatrical performance where individuals are actors on a stage. Goffman suggests that we perform different roles depending on the situation, a concept known as impression management. This dramaturgical approach suggests we adjust our behavior to the social context much like actors changing their performance depending on their audience and the role they are supposed to play. This perspective aligns with the understanding that theatre teaches us how to behave in social situations by providing examples and the opportunity to replicate them.
Theatre's ability to create a sense of community and elicit strong, engaged emotional reactions, as well as its role in improving empathy and understanding through storytelling, parallels the ways in which individuals engage in social interactions. The key difference between theatre and more passive forms of entertainment, like movies, is the immediacy and intensity of the engagement, which mirrors the direct and dynamic nature of real-life social interactions.