Understanding The Self: George Herbert Mead, The Social Self

Summary

In this educational video, George Herbert Mead, a foundational figure in American pragmatism and social psychology, is discussed. Mead's theory of self is explored, emphasizing the development of the 'I' and 'Me' through social interaction. The 'I' represents individual responses to societal attitudes, while the 'Me' is the adherence to social norms. Mead outlines three stages of self-development: the preparatory stage of imitation, the play stage of pretend play and self-consciousness, and the game stage of understanding societal roles and rules. The video concludes by highlighting socialization as a lifelong process that shapes one's identity and sense of self.

Takeaways

• 📚 George Herbert Mead is a renowned American sociologist and a pioneer in social psychology.
• 🧬 Mead rejected biological determinism, arguing that the self is not pre-established at birth.
• 🤔 The self, according to Mead, develops through social interactions and experiences.
• 👥 Mead introduced the concept of 'I' and 'Me' as two components of the self, where 'I' is the individual's response and 'Me' is the social self.
• 👶 The 'Preparatory stage' is the initial phase where infants imitate actions without understanding.
• 🎮 The 'Play stage' is crucial for children's self-consciousness development through pretend play.
• 🏆 The 'Game stage' is where children learn to recognize rules and roles, understanding societal viewpoints.
• 🔁 Socialization is a lifelong process that shapes and reshapes one's identity and sense of self.
• 🌐 Interactions and experiences throughout life, at school, home, or work, contribute to defining one's concrete identity.
• 🌟 Mead's theory emphasizes the dynamic nature of self, influenced by both societal attitudes and individual responses.

Q & A

Who is George Herbert Mead and what is his significance in the field of social psychology?

George Herbert Mead was an American sociologist and philosopher who is considered the father of American pragmatism. He was one of the pioneers in the field of social psychology, known for his contributions to the development of the self in relation to various social factors.

What did Mead reject in terms of the formation of the self?

Mead rejected the idea of biological determination of the self, which suggests that an individual has an established self from the moment of birth. Instead, he believed that the self develops through social interactions.

According to Mead, how does the self develop?

For Mead, the self develops through the construction and reconstruction of the idea of who we are as a person during the process of social experience.

What are the two components of the self that Mead proposed?

Mead proposed that there are two components of the self: the 'I' and the 'Me'. The 'Me' consists of the characteristics, behaviors, and actions that follow the generalized others one interacts with, while the 'I' is the individual's reaction to the attitudes of others and the manifestation of their individuality.

What is the role of the 'I' in Mead's theory of self?

In Mead's theory, the 'I' represents one's response to the established attitude and behavior that a person assumes in reference to their social interactions, signifying self-creativity.

How does the 'Me' aspect of the self function according to Mead?

The 'Me' in Mead's theory is the self-created through socialization, representing the attitudes and behaviors of a person with reference to their social environment.

What are the three stages of self-development that Mead proposed?

Mead proposed three stages of self-development: the preparatory stage, the play stage, and the game stage.

What happens during the preparatory stage in Mead's theory?

During the preparatory stage, infants imitate the actions and behaviors of the people they interact with, reflecting what they observe without any specific intention or meaning behind their actions.

How does the play stage differ from the preparatory stage in Mead's theory?

In the play stage, children begin to interact with others with certain rules, often self-imposed, and start practicing real-life situations through pretend play, marking the onset of self-consciousness.

What is the significance of the game stage in the development of the self according to Mead?

The game stage is the final stage where children recognize the rules of the game and understand their roles and those of others. They learn the implications of their actions and how society views them, leading to a more concrete identity and sense of self.

How does socialization continue to influence the self throughout a person's life according to Mead?

Socialization is a lifelong process for Mead. As people interact with different individuals and experience various social environments, such as school, home, or work, these interactions and experiences help define a more concrete identity and sense of self.

Outlines

00:00

👤 George Herbert Mead's Theory of Self and Socialization

George Herbert Mead, an American sociologist, is recognized as a foundational figure in American pragmatism and social psychology. He challenged the concept of biological determination of the self, arguing instead that the self develops through social interactions. Mead introduced the 'I' and 'Me' as two components of the self. The 'Me' represents the individual's behaviors and actions influenced by societal expectations, while the 'I' is the individual's response to these expectations, reflecting personal identity. Mead outlined three stages of self-development: the preparatory stage where infants imitate behaviors, the play stage where children engage in pretend play and develop self-consciousness, and the game stage where children understand rules and roles. Socialization, according to Mead, is a lifelong process that shapes one's identity and sense of self.

05:01

🌐 Bensam.com: A Resource for Social Psychology

The second paragraph provides a brief mention of Bensam.com, which appears to be a resource related to the topic of social psychology. It does not contain substantial content but serves as a reference or a source for further exploration of the concepts introduced in the previous paragraph.

Keywords

💡George Herbert Mead

George Herbert Mead was an American sociologist and philosopher, often regarded as one of the founders of social psychology. In the video, Mead is introduced as a key figure who rejected biological determinism and emphasized the role of social interaction in the development of the self. His ideas are central to understanding the video's theme of self-development through socialization.

💡Pragmatism

Pragmatism is a philosophical tradition that emphasizes the practical application of ideas and concepts. Mead is considered the father of American pragmatism, suggesting that his theories are grounded in practical experience and the way people interact with their environment. The video highlights pragmatism as a foundational concept for Mead's approach to social psychology.

💡Social Psychology

Social psychology is the scientific study of how people think, behave, and feel in social situations. Mead is recognized as one of the pioneers in this field, particularly for his contributions to understanding the development of the self in relation to social factors. The video underscores the importance of social psychology in Mead's work.

💡Biological Determination

Biological determination is the idea that an individual's traits and behaviors are predetermined by their genetic makeup. Mead rejected this notion, arguing instead that the self develops through social interaction. The video contrasts biological determination with Mead's view of the self as a social construct.

💡Self

In the context of the video, the 'self' refers to an individual's sense of identity and consciousness. Mead's theory posits that the self is not innate but develops through social interactions. The video discusses the 'self' as a central concept in understanding how individuals perceive themselves in relation to others.

💡I and Me

Mead proposed that the self consists of two components: the 'I' and the 'Me'. The 'Me' represents the social self, influenced by societal expectations and behaviors, while the 'I' is the individual's unique response to these social influences. The video explains these concepts as essential to understanding how individuals navigate their social environments.

💡Social Interaction

Social interaction refers to the process of communication and cooperation between individuals. Mead believed that social interaction is crucial for the development of the self. The video illustrates how social interactions shape an individual's behaviors and attitudes, as per Mead's theories.

💡Role-Playing

Role-playing is a concept Mead used to describe how individuals take on different roles within social contexts. The video mentions three stages of self-development—play stage, game stage, and preparatory stage—where role-playing is a key mechanism for learning and adapting to social norms.

💡Play Stage

The play stage is one of the developmental stages Mead identified in the formation of the self. During this stage, children begin to interact with others and engage in pretend play, which is a precursor to self-consciousness. The video uses this concept to explain how children start to understand social roles and rules.

💡Game Stage

The game stage is the final stage of self-development according to Mead. At this stage, children recognize the rules of social games and understand the roles of others, which helps them develop a more complex sense of self. The video highlights the game stage as a critical period for learning social cooperation and empathy.

💡Socialization

Socialization is the process by which individuals learn the norms and behaviors of their society. Mead viewed socialization as a lifelong process that shapes the self. The video emphasizes that socialization is not just a childhood experience but continues throughout life, influencing an individual's identity and sense of self.

Highlights

George Herbert Mead is considered the father of American pragmatism and a pioneer in social psychology.

Mead's work focuses on the development of the person in relation to social factors.

He rejected the idea of biological determination of the self.

The self develops through social interaction and experience, according to Mead.

Mead introduced the concept of 'I' and 'Me' as components of the self.

The 'Me' represents characteristics and behaviors influenced by social others.

The 'I' is the individual's response to the attitudes of others and their manifestation of individuality.

Mead's theory illustrates the interplay between self-creation and social self through 'I' and 'Me'.

There are three stages of self-development: the preparatory, play, and game stages.

In the preparatory stage, infants imitate actions and behaviors without intention.

The play stage is where children begin to interact with rules they set themselves.

Children practice real-life situations through pretend play, marking the onset of self-consciousness.

The game stage is characterized by understanding game rules and the roles of others.

At the game stage, children learn the implications of their actions and consider societal viewpoints.

Socialization is a lifelong process that shapes one's identity and sense of self.

Mead emphasizes the importance of social interactions in defining one's concrete identity.

The self is based on general attitudes and behaviors or individual responses to social attitudes.

Transcripts

[Music]

foreign welcome to Mr Nick crash course

[Music]

bensam.com George Herbert Mead is an

American sociologist he is considered as

the father of American pragmatism and

one of the Pioneers in the field of

social psychology because of his

contributions on the development of the

person relating to various social

factors

[Music]

Mead rejected the idea of biological

determination of the self which proposes

that an individual already has an

established self from the moment he is

born

for him the notion of a person with

regards to who they are develops from

one's social interaction with other

people

he reiterated that the process of

establishing the self is through the

construction and reconstruction of the

idea of who we are as a person during

the process of social experience

the eye and the me ad proposes that

there are two components of the self

which the person has these components

are the I and the me

to me are the characteristics behavior

and or actions done by a person that

follows the generalized others that

person interacts with

while the I is the reaction of the

individual to the attitude of others as

well as the manifestation of the

individuality of the person

simply speaking according to meet the

concept the I is one's response to the

established attitude and behavior that a

person assumes in reference to their

social interactions

while the me are the attitudes and

behavior of the person with reference to

their social environment

this is an illustration of how Mead's

classification of I and me in

socialization works

me as a self-created through

socialization and this how we learn

Behavior me as a social self

while the eye is also the aspect of this

self that response to other people's

attitudes

this is a self-creativity and this eye

is the one who responding to

socialization

means three role-playing stages of

self-development

Mead proposed that there are three

stages in which a person has to go

through for one to develop oneself

these stages are the preparation

language stage play stage and game stage

the Preparatory stage according to Mead

during this stage the infant simply

imitates the actions and behaviors of

the people that the infant interacts

with

because the child is only mimicking what

he or she observes from his or her

environment their actions are only the

reflection of what they can remember

without any intention or meaning behind

their actions or behavior

please

the play stage it is the time where

children begins to interact with other

with which certain rules apply these

rules often time does not adhere to any

set or standards but rather are rules

that are set by the children themselves

also this is the stage where the child

practices real life situations through

pretend play and is the onset of

self-consciousness

the development of this self in this

stage occurs through the preliminary

experiences that serves as practice for

the child

the game stage the final stage of

self-development according to Mead were

are characterized by the ability of the

children to recognize the rules of the

game and be able to identify their roles

and the roles of the others that is

playing with them

with this the children at this stage

learns the implications of their actions

as well as the understanding or taking

into account how one can take into

account the Viewpoint of the society on

the attitudes and actions with the idea

of mead with regards to the

establishment of the sense of self

socialization is a lifetime Endeavor and

the people one interacts with will

change throughout a person's life as

such considering the social environment

One belongs to along with the changes on

the person's development may it be at

school home or work the interactions and

experiences the person acquires from

those people and situations helps Define

a more concrete identity and sense of

self

that idea of self may be based on the

general attitudes and behaviors of other

people or the individuality of the

person that manifests as a response to

those attitudes and behaviors of others

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