Interaction Propositions: A Comparison of “Dramaturgical Analysis” and “Exchange Theory,” the Micro Sociological Explanations of Face-to-Face Communication Proposed by Erving Goffman and George C. Homans

This article is an investigation into some aspects of the communication-focused exchange theory as proposed by George C. Homans and the dramaturgical analysis of Erving Goffman. By presenting evidence from the original writings of these “contemporary” social theorists, the author suggests that Goffman’s symbolic interactionism could be assimilated into Homans’ propositions, or laws, and gereralizations about communication, interactions and encounters.