Читать книгу Achieving Excellence in Fundraising - Группа авторов - Страница 91

Symbolic interactionism, a framework derived from American pragmatism, has ties to both social psychology and microsociology. It focuses on how people interpret meaning from the objects, people, and situations of life, which then influences their decisions and actions. These meanings develop through social interaction and communication with others (Mead 1934; Schwandt 2007). Language, gestures, and physical objects can all influence the meaning one person takes from a situation, which will affect how they respond.

Dramaturgy uses theater as a metaphor to examine and understand the meaning in social interactions. Using workplaces to observe human behavior, Goffman (1959) explored how situations prompt expected roles, behavior, and expressions. Using a dramaturgical framework, a “front region” is an area or situation that interacts with customers, and a “back region” or “backstage” is a setting that is out of view from customers. Working in a backstage role requires technical expertise, while working in a front region requires expressive skill. Goffman notes that, “… in those interactions where the individual presents a product to others, he will tend to show them only the end product, and they will be led into judging him on the basis of something that has been finished, polished, and packaged” (44). Co‐workers will work as teams to help project this polished impression – putting our best foot forward – which grants the team and its organization legitimacy in the eyes of those observing.

Applying the precepts of dramaturgy to fundraising yields four key assertions (Hansen 2018).

 First, that fundraisers incorporate an understanding of the importance of first impressions into their work.

 Second, that fundraisers actively frame situations to suggest a plan for cooperative action. This may include describing a situation, a frame for interpreting it, and an opportunity to act on that interpretation. For example, a fundraiser might describe a problem, how the organization can help address it, and ask the donor for monetary support.

 Third, that the fundraiser, the organization, and the clients who will benefit from cooperative action must all be seen as having character that aligns with being worthy of support. For instance, when fundraisers, organizations, and clients are seen as trustworthy, and the cause is easy to sympathize with, the situation is beneficial to fundraising activities.

 And fourth, that fundraisers must be sensitive to prospective donors' likely reactions, seeing themselves as prospective donors to evaluate how a letter, a call, an event, or any other situation will be seen, and if it will support a meaning that aligns with asking for cooperative action, a gift of time or money.

Taking these together makes clear the importance of taking the donor's perspective to try to understand how they will interpret communication – the words, the timing, the “costumes,” the “setting,” even the background music. Do all of these align to resonate with the donor's understanding of an important cause, and support their choice to act? It's probably not surprising that one of the metaphors fundraisers commonly use to describe their work is that of the choreographer (Breeze 2017).

A dramaturgical analysis also highlights that a discordant note can ring false with the donor. Something unexpected or out of place can be jarring, disrupting a potential donor's support for a worthwhile cause. For those organizations addressing change and social justice, there is an inherent tension, since the welcoming tone and controversy avoidance that may help attract and cultivate new donors can also perpetuate injustices (Hansen 2018). Dramaturgy suggests the importance of expressive competence – of finding the way to take donors' perspectives and understand likely impressions while also being honest and true to mission that is community centered. This skillful balance on the part of fundraisers paves the road to cooperative action.