IntroductionSocial order derives from an interpretation of a network of relationships, symbols and social codes. It creates “a sense of how individuals all fit together in shared spaces” (Silva, 2009, p. 308), and therefore relies on the coding of human behavior in physical spaces as well as between various individuals. In every society, people must acquire knowledge of how to relate to each other and their environment. Order is then established through a normalization and standardization of this knowledge. This essay will examine two visions of social order, applied to the social sciences and embodied in everyday life. He will compare and contrast a Canadian sociologist, Erving Goffman, and a French philosopher, Michel Foucault. Through the analysis of these two figures, the text will present different ways of looking at the social order and the place of individuals in human society. First, it will be shown how Goffman and Foucault address the theme of social order, identifying models of behavior in micro- and macro-social realities. Second, the essay will explore Goffman and Foucault's views on the underlying characteristics of social order, one drawing on performances and the other on enhanced adaptation. Finally, it will be argued that each theorist comments on the perception of the self and its authenticity as a result of the social ordering. In conclusion, it will be clear that order is a set of related social structures, which cannot be reduced to a single theory. Micro- and macro-social approaches Goffman and Foucault see social order as the result of socially constructed models. However, each thinker derives from these models in a distinct way. In other words, both authors identify an invisible social order. For Goffman, this order is the result of s...... half of the document ......oucault, M. (1972). The Archeology of Knowledge. New York: Vintage Books. Foucault, M. (1977). Discipline and punishment: the birth of the prison. Harmondsworth: Penguin.Foucault, M. (1978). The history of sexuality, vol. 1: An introduction. New York: Vintage Books.Glaskin, M. (2004). “Innovation: the end of the white line”, Sunday Times, 22 August [online], http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/driving/article472085.ece (accessed 12 February 2009). Goffman, E. (1959). Self-presentation in everyday life. New York. Anchor Books.Goffman, E. (1971). Public relations. London. Allen Lane.Goffman, E. (1972). Interaction ritual. London. Allen Lane. Silva, E. B. (2009). Chapter 7. Creating social order. In: Taylor, S., Hinchliffe, S., Clarke, J. and Bromley, S. (eds) (2009). Presentation of social sciences. Create a social life. Milton Keynes: The Open University.