George Herbert Mead- The I and the Me | Individuals and Society | MCAT | Khan Academy

Summary

Sociologists Charles Cooley and George Herbert Mead explored how others influence our self-concept. While Cooley believed all interactions affect self-identity, Mead argued only certain relationships during specific life stages matter. Mead outlined three developmental stages: the preparatory stage of imitation, the play stage of role-taking, and the game stage where children grasp societal roles. This progression leads to the formation of the 'me' (social self) and the 'I' (individual response), culminating in a balanced self-concept.

Takeaways

• 🧠 Sociologists Charles Cooley and George Herbert Mead believed that others significantly influence our self-identity, but they had different views on how this influence occurs.
• 🌟 Cooley thought that everyone we interact with throughout our lives can affect our self-identity, while Mead believed that only certain people during specific life periods have this impact.
• 👶 Mead argued that infants and very young children are not influenced by others and are egocentric, similar to Piaget's concept of egocentrism.
• 👧 As children grow, they progress through three stages of social development: the preparatory stage, the play stage, and the game stage, each with distinct behaviors and understandings.
• 🍳 In the preparatory stage, children imitate others through play, like pretending to cook with pots and pans or clean with brooms.
• 🗣️ The play stage sees children focusing on communication and role-taking, where they pretend to be different characters, reflecting an awareness of social roles.
• 🤝 During the game stage, children's understanding of social interactions deepens as they consider the attitudes and behaviors of the 'generalized other', or society as a whole.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Children begin to recognize that individuals perform roles based on societal expectations and that people can have multiple roles.
• 🤔 Mead emphasized that as children acknowledge the generalized other, they become concerned about how their actions and words influence others' perceptions of them.
• 💭 The development of the 'I' and the 'me' is central to Mead's theory, where the 'me' represents our social self and the 'I' is our individual response to societal views.

Q & A

How do sociologists Charles Cooley and George Herbert Mead differ in their views on how others influence our self-identity?

Cooley believed that everyone a person interacts with throughout their life can influence their self-identity, while Mead thought that only certain people during specific periods of life can have this impact.

What is Mead's perspective on the influence of others on infants and very young children?

Mead believed that infants and very young children are not influenced by others. They see themselves as the center of their world and lack the ability to take the perspective of another person.

How does Mead's concept of self-development align with Piaget's concept of egocentrism?

Mead's view that young children are not influenced by others and see themselves as the center of their world is similar to Piaget's concept of egocentrism, where children are unable to consider others' perspectives.

What are the three stages Mead identified in the development of self-perception through social interaction?

The three stages are the preparatory stage, the play stage, and the game stage. Each stage represents a different level of social interaction and understanding of self in relation to others.

During the preparatory stage, how do children interact with others according to Mead?

In the preparatory stage, children interact through imitation, such as playing with pots and pans when someone is cooking or using a broom when parents are cleaning.

What is the significance of the play stage in Mead's theory of social development?

During the play stage, children become more aware of social relationships and start to pretend play as other people, focusing on role-taking and mentally assuming the perspectives of others.

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

In the game stage, children's understanding of social interactions becomes more developed, and they start to understand the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of the 'generalized other' or society as a whole.

What does Mead mean by the 'generalized other' in the context of the game stage?

The 'generalized other' refers to society as a whole, and during the game stage, children begin to understand that people's behaviors are influenced not only by personal beliefs but also by societal expectations.

How does Mead describe the development of the 'I' and the 'me' in an individual's self-concept?

The 'me' is the social self, formed through interactions with others and how we believe the generalized other sees us. The 'I' is the individual's response to the 'me', considering what those social perceptions mean.

What is the balance that Mead suggests constitutes our actual self?

According to Mead, our actual self is the balance of both the 'I' and the 'me', where the 'I' represents our individual identity and the 'me' represents our social self.