Final answer:
Goffman's sense of self was shaped by a dramaturgical approach, where he viewed social interaction as theatrical performance, with impression management being central to shaping one's self in relation to others.
Step-by-step explanation:
Goffman's sense of self was shaped by his dramaturgical approach. This approach, detailed in his works like The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life (1958), utilizes theater as a metaphor for social interaction. Goffman believed that we engage in impression management to craft our presentations to others, hoping to influence how they perceive us. Each social situation is seen as a new stage where individuals perform different roles based on the audience present, similar to actors playing different parts based on a script or the immediate interaction context. This concept evolved from Charles Cooley's looking-glass self, which suggests we shape our self-image based on how we think others view us and their reactions to our behaviors.