Mapping Goffman’s Invisible College

Abstract

Erving Goffman is often remembered as a solitary thinker—famously private, and never a co-author. This book offers a counterpoint by tracing Goffman’s connections to a network of colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania between 1968 and 1982, including Dell Hymes, William Labov, John Szwed, Ray Birdwhistell, and Sol Worth. It follows five major collaborations that emerged in that setting, along with others that never quite came together. The analysis also considers Goffman’s earlier work at institutions including the University of Chicago, the National Institute of Mental Health, the University of California, Berkeley, and Harvard University, alongside related initiatives at Indiana University and the University of Texas. Beyond documenting Goffman’s intellectual network, the book uses his connections as a case study to examine interdisciplinarity, invisible colleges, and disciplinary history. By examining both the productive and faltering collaborations in Goffman’s orbit, the book sheds light on the complex, often unpredictable pathways through which academic ideas take shape. This work will appeal to scholars across disciplines seeking to understand the collaborative foundations of academic life.