Final answer:
Erving Goffman's concept of self was heavily influenced by Charles Cooley's looking-glass self and George Herbert Mead's theories on the social formation of the self.
Step-by-step explanation:
The ideas that heavily influenced Erving Goffman's concept of self were primarily drawn from Charles Cooley and George Herbert Mead. Cooley's concept of the looking-glass self suggests that individuals develop a self-image based on how they believe others perceive them. We engage in behaviors, like dressing in certain ways or preparing our hair, based on the expected reaction of others to our presentation of ourselves. Goffman expanded on the idea that our social interactions serve as a sort of mirror, affecting our personal sense of self.
On the other hand, Mead's focus was on how social interactions contribute to the formation of the mind and self, arguing that our sense of self comes substantially from these interactions. Mead introduced the concepts of 'significant others' and 'generalized others,' which helped further define how an individual's self is influenced by the reactions and perspectives of different groups of people around them. Together, Cooley's and Mead's theories substantially impacted Goffman's dramaturgy, leading to his ideas of individuals as actors who perform roles in the theater of everyday life, using impression management to shape how they are perceived by others.