User:Dennis van Vreden/thesisoutline

The power and globalisation of the performance and the 'higher self'.

In everyday life situations (including artists' lives). Roleplaying is something we view highly. One that can assume every role, will succeed in life. Altering the state of mind. In reverse, stage lights and windblowers have a confusing affect to our state of mind. They question our role. Putting on a spotlight. The idea of an audience.

I consider the ultimate performers to be soldiers and Beyoncé. Interestingly they both have had similar training in becoming their higher selves. Through mastery of proprioception and taking full control of the body. What is the relationship between these performances?

'Performance' has become one of the key terms for the new century. But what do we mean by 'performance'? In today's world it can refer to experimental art; productivity in the workplace; and the functionality of technological systems. McKenzie demonstrates that all three paradigms operate together to create powerful and contradictory pressures to 'perform...or else'.

This is from the Wikipedia

Jon McKenzie has various views on performance theory. He refers to performance in the sense that performance has multiple definitions, such as; performance as a spectacle, performance meaning a machine’s effectiveness and a government’s performance during their speeches. All these concepts are becoming ‘entwined’ (McKenzie, 2003; 118) due to the different paradigms involved around the phenomena in defining what is performance. McKenzie describes the whole world has become a ‘test site’ (McKenzie, 2003; 120) in which everything is being tested as a performance. McKenzie believes that the world is entering ‘an age of global performance. This statement comes from the fact that he believes that performance has become globalised; as everything can be determined as a performance.

The amount of discipline and bootcamp that is needed to be our higher selves is quite substantial. What's wrong with just being the 'regular' self. Would that mean we would be insufficient to interact with others? However, this would also make our interactions quite artificial.

Bibliography
The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life by Erving Goffman
Perform or Else by Jon McKenzie