Final answer:
Miss Linda's role in the boys' lives, as compared to a mother's role with her sons, likely varies based on Erving Goffman's theory of dramaturgy, which posits that individuals play different roles depending on the audience and situation. These roles are socially constructed and are influenced by gender-based expectations and the individual relationship dynamics.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks about Miss Linda's role in the boys' lives and how it differs from the role of a mother in her sons' lives as per the sociological theories of Erving Goffman. According to Goffman's dramaturgy theory, individuals perform different roles depending on the audience. This implies that Miss Linda and a mother may have different impacts and forms of relationship dynamics with their respective children.
Goffman's theory suggests that Miss Linda might embody different roles when interacting with the boys than what a typical mother would with her sons. In a broader context, parents generally socialize sons and daughters differently, affecting family roles and dynamics. For example, sons might be afforded more autonomy and receive fewer domestic responsibilities compared to daughters, influencing their perception and behavior within the family. This difference in parental treatment and expectation from gender roles can result in distinct relationships between mothers and their sons.
Extending Goffman's dramaturgical analysis, each individual within the family framework, whether it's Miss Linda or a mother, could be seen as engaging in role performance, managing the impressions they leave on the boys to create a desired perception. It's important to understand that the roles played within this dynamic are socially constructed, and can evolve over time and with changing family expectations.