A Dignified Judge’s (Re)Presentation of Self

SMEJKALOVÁ, Terezie, Petr PALÍŠEK and Markéta ŠTĚPÁNÍKOVÁ. A Dignified Judge’s (Re)Presentation of Self. Papers on Social Representations. Lisbon: University Institute of Lisbon, 2024, p. 1-34. ISSN 1021-5573.

Basic information

• Original name: A Dignified Judge’s (Re)Presentation of Self
• Authors: SMEJKALOVÁ, Terezie, Petr PALÍŠEK and Markéta ŠTĚPÁNÍKOVÁ.
• Edition: Papers on Social Representations, Lisbon, University Institute of Lisbon, 2024, 1021-5573.

Other information

• Original language: English
• Type of outcome: Article in a journal
• Country of publisher: Portugal
• Confidentiality degree: is not subject to a state or trade secret
• WWW: URL
• Keywords in English: performance; performativity; Goffman; dignity of a judge; social representations; collective representation
• Tags: online first
• Tags: International impact, Reviewed

Abstract

Goffman (1959) believes that everyone is a performer, maintaining a “front” depending on social situations they enter. Roles with higher level of institutionalization, such as judges, may even have front prepared for them, may it be by law or social expectations. The role of a judge as prepared by the law entails the performance of dignity. Goffman believes that a person’s front is collectively represented, and that this representation becomes a fact of its own right. We use the social representations approach (Moscovici 1961) to explore this “collective representation” of the judge’s dignity among practicing lawyers, using hierarchical evocation method (Abric, 2005). This paper explores the performative dimension of a judge, a character in a performance of a trial. We report our findings and discuss the front of a dignified judge that emerged as a persona with specific appearance and manner, and setting used to objectify the judge’s dignity.

Links

• GA20-10171S, research and development project: Name: Využití metod sociální reprezentace v analýze právních konceptů

Investor: Czech Science Foundation