This article, originally written for the presidential address of the American Sociological Association and published in 1983, is Erving Goffman's final work. It synthesizes his main theoretical contribution to sociology, arguing that face-to-face interactions form a specific, ordered, and fundamental domain of social life—what he calls the "interaction order"—that cannot be reduced to the determinations of social structure. Goffman explores the interfaces between the interaction order and different dimensions of macro-structural social organization. The article highlights the importance of face-to-face interactions in shaping social life and the need to study them as a distinct domain, using microanalysis as the preferred method. Goffman discusses the implications of the interaction order for understanding social structures, the impact of situational factors on social processes, and the role of social conventions and norms in maintaining order. He also addresses the limitations of traditional sociological approaches and the need for a more nuanced understanding of social interactions. The article concludes by emphasizing the significance of the interaction order in both individual and macro-level social phenomena.This article, originally written for the presidential address of the American Sociological Association and published in 1983, is Erving Goffman's final work. It synthesizes his main theoretical contribution to sociology, arguing that face-to-face interactions form a specific, ordered, and fundamental domain of social life—what he calls the "interaction order"—that cannot be reduced to the determinations of social structure. Goffman explores the interfaces between the interaction order and different dimensions of macro-structural social organization. The article highlights the importance of face-to-face interactions in shaping social life and the need to study them as a distinct domain, using microanalysis as the preferred method. Goffman discusses the implications of the interaction order for understanding social structures, the impact of situational factors on social processes, and the role of social conventions and norms in maintaining order. He also addresses the limitations of traditional sociological approaches and the need for a more nuanced understanding of social interactions. The article concludes by emphasizing the significance of the interaction order in both individual and macro-level social phenomena.