Gambling, Fatefulness, and Risk Society

• In Event: 261 - Section on Political Sociology Refereed Roundtable Session and Business Meeting
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 09. Political Dynamics of Individual Actions

Abstract

This paper explores Erving Goffman’s theory of gambling that he undertook in the 1960s while working as a casino dealer in Las Vegas. It shows that Goffman’s enduring contribution to the study of gambling owes much to his determined effort to breach the wall between betting practices in entertainment venues and risk taking in society at large. The distinction is introduced between gaming as a challenge enjoyed for its own sake, gambling associated with betting a value on a chancy outcome, and calculated risk taking in society at large one hazards to fulfill an obligation or get ahead in life. Drawing macrosociological implications from Goffman’s theory, the author makes the case that limited opportunities encourage lower socioeconomic strata to gamble where they stand little chance to win while providing those with ample resources an opportunity to take practical gambles with higher probability of success.

Author

• Dmitri Shalin, University of Nevada, Las Vegas