The presentation of dead selves in everyday life: Obituaries and impression management

This study draws on obituary content and meanings to extend Goffman's explication of the vagaries of face-to-face interactions to situations where people pursue goals without corporeal copresence of actor and audience. Data for the study was collected in Kumasi, the capital city of the Asante people of Ghana, West Africa. My analysis suggests that obituaries embody self-presentation strategies that include star crafting, social risk management, and mobilization of external resources. I conclude that obituaries are cultural texts that appropriate social symbols to facilitate the presentation of the dead as part of the bereaved's identity projects. My specific observations about obituaries hint at more general reflections on self-presentation strategies that may be extended to other aspects of social life. They also raise questions for future research.