Civil_Inattention

Civil Inattention Civil inattention Definition: According to Anthony Giddens (p.114 -115, 2003), civil inattention is the process whereby individuals who are in the same physical setting demonstrate to one another that they are aware of each others presence. When one person quickly glances at another person and then look away again, they demonstrate what Erving Goffman (1967, 1971) calls the civil inattention that we require of one another in many situations. Each individual shows recognition of the other person’s presence but avoids the gesture that might be taken as too forward. Civil inattention is not the same as ignoring someone but expected courtesies of inattention to ease and embarrassing moment. It is seen as polite ignoring of others so as not to invade their privacy. Gidden’s says that each individual demonstrates attention and involvement in some kind of interaction merely by looking at the eyes of the other, but not starring into them. When civil inattention occurs with strangers, an individual implies to another person that they have no reason to suspect his intentions, be hostile or specifically avoid him. It is very important to precede this behavior without fear. If you look too intently it might be taken as a sign of mistrust inattention, civil, people, each, person, others, strangers, looks, looking, look, another, am, towards, sitting, same, phone, out, one, notice, individual, giddens, friend, bus, back, 2003, without, time, themselves, taken, someone, smiles, smiled, smile, says, say, quickly