Mead's theory

Mead’s Theory

George Herbert Mead, a pioneering American philosopher and sociologist, developed a significant theory of the self and society that has had a lasting impact on the fields of sociology, psychology, and social psychology. Mead’s theory is centered on the concept of the “self” as a social phenomenon that emerges through social interaction and communication.

George Herbert Mead: The Man Behind the Theory

Before delving into Mead’s theory of the self, it’s essential to understand the intellectual background and contributions of George Herbert Mead (1863-1931).

  • Pragmatism: Mead was part of the American pragmatist tradition, which emphasized the practical consequences of ideas and beliefs. He was influenced by the works of William James and John Dewey.
  • Symbolic Interactionism: Mead is often associated with symbolic interactionism, a sociological perspective that focuses on the role of symbols and language in shaping human behavior and social reality.
  • The Mind and the Self: Mead’s work explored the relationship between the mind, the self, and society. He argued that the self is not a fixed, innate entity but a product of social interaction.

The Self: A Social Product

Role of Symbols and Language

Mead’s theory begins with the recognition of the role of symbols and language in human interaction. He argued that symbols, such as words and gestures, are the basis of human communication and social life. Through symbols, individuals convey meaning, share experiences, and engage in complex interactions.

The “I” and the “Me”

Mead introduced the distinction between the “I” and the “Me” to describe the dual nature of the self:

  1. The “I”: The “I” represents the individual’s spontaneous and impulsive aspect. It is the creative and active part of the self that initiates actions and responds to immediate situations.
  2. The “Me”: The “Me” represents the socialized aspect of the self. It is the part of the self that internalizes the expectations, norms, and roles of society. The “Me” guides behavior by taking into account how others perceive and evaluate the individual.

The “Generalized Other”

Mead introduced the concept of the “generalized other” to explain how individuals come to understand the broader social context and norms. The generalized other is an internalized sense of society’s expectations and values, which serves as a reference point for evaluating one’s actions.

The Stages of Self-Development

Mead outlined a developmental process through which individuals acquire a sense of self and identity. This process consists of three stages:

1. The Preparatory Stage:

  • Infancy and Early Childhood: In this stage, children primarily engage in imitation and mimicry. They copy the behaviors of those around them without a clear understanding of the meaning behind the actions.

2. The Play Stage:

  • Early to Middle Childhood: During the play stage, children begin to use symbols and engage in role-playing activities. They take on roles and perspectives of others, such as parents, teachers, or fictional characters.
  • Significant Others: These are individuals who hold importance in the child’s life and whose roles the child imitates and adopts.

3. The Game Stage:

  • Late Childhood and Beyond: In the game stage, children participate in organized group activities with specific rules and roles. They begin to grasp the concept of the generalized other and understand how their actions affect the larger social context.
  • Role Taking: This process involves understanding and internalizing the perspectives of multiple individuals within a social group, not just those of significant others.

The “I” and “Me” in Interaction

Mead’s theory emphasizes the dynamic interplay between the “I” and the “Me” in social interactions:

  • The “I” Initiates Action: The “I” is the creative and spontaneous aspect of the self that initiates actions and responses in social situations.
  • The “Me” Guides Behavior: The “Me” guides behavior by considering the expectations and norms of society. It evaluates the actions of the “I” based on how they align with the generalized other.
  • Coordinated Action: Effective social interaction involves the coordination of the “I” and the “Me.” Individuals must balance their spontaneous responses with an understanding of societal norms and expectations.

Relevance and Implications

Mead’s theory of the self has several important implications for our understanding of human identity and social life:

1. Socialization:

  • Mead’s theory underscores the role of socialization in shaping the self. It highlights how individuals acquire a sense of self and identity through interactions with others.

2. Symbolic Interactionism:

  • Mead’s work is foundational to symbolic interactionism, a sociological perspective that examines how symbols and language influence human behavior and the construction of reality.

3. Role of Language:

  • Language and symbols are central to Mead’s theory. They are the means through which individuals communicate, internalize societal norms, and develop a sense of self.

4. Identity Formation:

  • Mead’s stages of self-development provide insights into the process of identity formation, emphasizing the importance of role-taking and perspective-sharing in understanding one’s place in society.

5. Social Change:

  • Mead’s ideas have implications for understanding social change and how individuals and groups can influence and reshape societal norms and expectations.

Criticisms and Debates

Mead’s theory, while influential, has faced criticism and debate in various aspects:

  • Individual vs. Society: Some critics argue that Mead’s theory leans too heavily toward the social construction of the self, neglecting individual agency and autonomy.
  • Overemphasis on Language: Mead’s emphasis on language as the primary vehicle of socialization has been challenged by scholars who argue that nonverbal communication and embodied experiences also play crucial roles.
  • Cultural Variation: Critics highlight the cultural variations in the development of self and identity, suggesting that Mead’s theory may not fully capture the diversity of human experiences.

Conclusion

George Herbert Mead’s theory of the self is a foundational concept in sociology and psychology, shedding light on how individuals develop a sense of self and identity through social interaction and communication. The interplay between the “I” and the “Me” illustrates the complexity of human selfhood and the role of society in shaping who we become.

Mead’s ideas continue to influence research on identity, symbolic interactionism, and socialization, reminding us of the intricate ways in which our sense of self is intertwined with the social world in which we live.

Related Concepts, Frameworks, or ModelsDescriptionWhen to Apply
Symbolic InteractionismA sociological theory that emphasizes the importance of symbols, meaning, and interaction in shaping individual identity, self-concept, and social behavior.Applicable when analyzing the construction of identity, meaning, and social reality, emphasizing the role of symbols, language, and interaction in shaping individual perceptions and behavior.
Mind, Self, and SocietyA seminal work by George Herbert Mead that introduces his theory of social behavior, emphasizing the dynamic interaction between self, society, and individual experience.Relevant for understanding the development of self-awareness, self-identity, and social interactions, emphasizing the social construction of reality and self through communication and interaction.
Role-TakingA process in which individuals adopt the perspective of others and consider how they are viewed and judged, emphasizing empathy, perspective shifting, and self-awareness in social interaction.Applicable when studying the formation of self and identity, emphasizing the ability to understand and anticipate others’ perspectives and engage in complex social interactions and roles.
SocializationA process through which individuals acquire the values, norms, and behavioral patterns of their culture and learn to function effectively in society, emphasizing the role of interaction, communication, and social structure in shaping individual development and identity.Relevant for exploring the formation of self and identity within society, emphasizing the influence of social interaction, communication, and cultural norms on individual learning, development, and identity formation.
I and MeConcepts introduced by Mead to describe different aspects of the self, where “I” represents the spontaneous, creative aspect of the self, while “Me” represents the socialized, internalized aspect of self, emphasizing the dynamic interplay between individual agency and social structure in self development.Applicable when examining the nature of self-awareness, identity, and social interaction, emphasizing the dialectical relationship between individual agency, social expectations, and self-concept formation in Mead’s theory of the self.
Significant OthersIndividuals who are important in shaping the self-concept and identity of a person, such as family members, peers, and role models, emphasizing the influence of social interactions and relationships in self development and identity formation.Relevant when examining the social context of self development and identity, emphasizing the role of significant others, social relationships, and social interactions in shaping individual identity and self-concept throughout the lifespan.
Role DistanceA concept that refers to the degree to which individuals identify with and internalize the roles expected of them in society, emphasizing the ability to maintain a sense of autonomy, individuality, and authenticity in role performance and interaction with others.Applicable when exploring the nature of social roles, identity, and self-concept, emphasizing the dynamic relationship between individual agency, social expectations, and role performance in society and interpersonal relationships.
Taking the Role of the OtherA process in which individuals assume the perspective of another person and consider how that person views them, emphasizing empathy, perspective shifting, and role playing in social interaction and identity formation.Relevant when studying the formation of self and identity, emphasizing the ability to understand and anticipate others’ perspectives and engage in complex social interactions and roles.
Social ConstructionismA perspective that views reality as socially constructed, emphasizing the role of language, symbols, and social interaction in shaping perceptions, beliefs, and knowledge, aligning with Mead’s emphasis on the social nature of reality and self formation.Applicable when examining the process of meaning making, knowledge formation, and identity construction in social contexts, emphasizing the role of language, symbols, and interaction in shaping individual and collective understandings of reality and self.

Connected Thinking Frameworks

Convergent vs. Divergent Thinking

convergent-vs-divergent-thinking
Convergent thinking occurs when the solution to a problem can be found by applying established rules and logical reasoning. Whereas divergent thinking is an unstructured problem-solving method where participants are encouraged to develop many innovative ideas or solutions to a given problem. Where convergent thinking might work for larger, mature organizations where divergent thinking is more suited for startups and innovative companies.

Critical Thinking

critical-thinking
Critical thinking involves analyzing observations, facts, evidence, and arguments to form a judgment about what someone reads, hears, says, or writes.

Biases

biases
The concept of cognitive biases was introduced and popularized by the work of Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman in 1972. Biases are seen as systematic errors and flaws that make humans deviate from the standards of rationality, thus making us inept at making good decisions under uncertainty.

Second-Order Thinking

second-order-thinking
Second-order thinking is a means of assessing the implications of our decisions by considering future consequences. Second-order thinking is a mental model that considers all future possibilities. It encourages individuals to think outside of the box so that they can prepare for every and eventuality. It also discourages the tendency for individuals to default to the most obvious choice.

Lateral Thinking

lateral-thinking
Lateral thinking is a business strategy that involves approaching a problem from a different direction. The strategy attempts to remove traditionally formulaic and routine approaches to problem-solving by advocating creative thinking, therefore finding unconventional ways to solve a known problem. This sort of non-linear approach to problem-solving, can at times, create a big impact.

Bounded Rationality

bounded-rationality
Bounded rationality is a concept attributed to Herbert Simon, an economist and political scientist interested in decision-making and how we make decisions in the real world. In fact, he believed that rather than optimizing (which was the mainstream view in the past decades) humans follow what he called satisficing.

Dunning-Kruger Effect

dunning-kruger-effect
The Dunning-Kruger effect describes a cognitive bias where people with low ability in a task overestimate their ability to perform that task well. Consumers or businesses that do not possess the requisite knowledge make bad decisions. What’s more, knowledge gaps prevent the person or business from seeing their mistakes.

Occam’s Razor

occams-razor
Occam’s Razor states that one should not increase (beyond reason) the number of entities required to explain anything. All things being equal, the simplest solution is often the best one. The principle is attributed to 14th-century English theologian William of Ockham.

Lindy Effect

lindy-effect
The Lindy Effect is a theory about the ageing of non-perishable things, like technology or ideas. Popularized by author Nicholas Nassim Taleb, the Lindy Effect states that non-perishable things like technology age – linearly – in reverse. Therefore, the older an idea or a technology, the same will be its life expectancy.

Antifragility

antifragility
Antifragility was first coined as a term by author, and options trader Nassim Nicholas Taleb. Antifragility is a characteristic of systems that thrive as a result of stressors, volatility, and randomness. Therefore, Antifragile is the opposite of fragile. Where a fragile thing breaks up to volatility; a robust thing resists volatility. An antifragile thing gets stronger from volatility (provided the level of stressors and randomness doesn’t pass a certain threshold).

Systems Thinking

systems-thinking
Systems thinking is a holistic means of investigating the factors and interactions that could contribute to a potential outcome. It is about thinking non-linearly, and understanding the second-order consequences of actions and input into the system.

Vertical Thinking

vertical-thinking
Vertical thinking, on the other hand, is a problem-solving approach that favors a selective, analytical, structured, and sequential mindset. The focus of vertical thinking is to arrive at a reasoned, defined solution.

Maslow’s Hammer

einstellung-effect
Maslow’s Hammer, otherwise known as the law of the instrument or the Einstellung effect, is a cognitive bias causing an over-reliance on a familiar tool. This can be expressed as the tendency to overuse a known tool (perhaps a hammer) to solve issues that might require a different tool. This problem is persistent in the business world where perhaps known tools or frameworks might be used in the wrong context (like business plans used as planning tools instead of only investors’ pitches).

Peter Principle

peter-principle
The Peter Principle was first described by Canadian sociologist Lawrence J. Peter in his 1969 book The Peter Principle. The Peter Principle states that people are continually promoted within an organization until they reach their level of incompetence.

Straw Man Fallacy

straw-man-fallacy
The straw man fallacy describes an argument that misrepresents an opponent’s stance to make rebuttal more convenient. The straw man fallacy is a type of informal logical fallacy, defined as a flaw in the structure of an argument that renders it invalid.

Streisand Effect

streisand-effect
The Streisand Effect is a paradoxical phenomenon where the act of suppressing information to reduce visibility causes it to become more visible. In 2003, Streisand attempted to suppress aerial photographs of her Californian home by suing photographer Kenneth Adelman for an invasion of privacy. Adelman, who Streisand assumed was paparazzi, was instead taking photographs to document and study coastal erosion. In her quest for more privacy, Streisand’s efforts had the opposite effect.

Heuristic

heuristic
As highlighted by German psychologist Gerd Gigerenzer in the paper “Heuristic Decision Making,” the term heuristic is of Greek origin, meaning “serving to find out or discover.” More precisely, a heuristic is a fast and accurate way to make decisions in the real world, which is driven by uncertainty.

Recognition Heuristic

recognition-heuristic
The recognition heuristic is a psychological model of judgment and decision making. It is part of a suite of simple and economical heuristics proposed by psychologists Daniel Goldstein and Gerd Gigerenzer. The recognition heuristic argues that inferences are made about an object based on whether it is recognized or not.

Representativeness Heuristic

representativeness-heuristic
The representativeness heuristic was first described by psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky. The representativeness heuristic judges the probability of an event according to the degree to which that event resembles a broader class. When queried, most will choose the first option because the description of John matches the stereotype we may hold for an archaeologist.

Take-The-Best Heuristic

take-the-best-heuristic
The take-the-best heuristic is a decision-making shortcut that helps an individual choose between several alternatives. The take-the-best (TTB) heuristic decides between two or more alternatives based on a single good attribute, otherwise known as a cue. In the process, less desirable attributes are ignored.

Bundling Bias

bundling-bias
The bundling bias is a cognitive bias in e-commerce where a consumer tends not to use all of the products bought as a group, or bundle. Bundling occurs when individual products or services are sold together as a bundle. Common examples are tickets and experiences. The bundling bias dictates that consumers are less likely to use each item in the bundle. This means that the value of the bundle and indeed the value of each item in the bundle is decreased.

Barnum Effect

barnum-effect
The Barnum Effect is a cognitive bias where individuals believe that generic information – which applies to most people – is specifically tailored for themselves.

First-Principles Thinking

first-principles-thinking
First-principles thinking – sometimes called reasoning from first principles – is used to reverse-engineer complex problems and encourage creativity. It involves breaking down problems into basic elements and reassembling them from the ground up. Elon Musk is among the strongest proponents of this way of thinking.

Ladder Of Inference

ladder-of-inference
The ladder of inference is a conscious or subconscious thinking process where an individual moves from a fact to a decision or action. The ladder of inference was created by academic Chris Argyris to illustrate how people form and then use mental models to make decisions.

Goodhart’s Law

goodharts-law
Goodhart’s Law is named after British monetary policy theorist and economist Charles Goodhart. Speaking at a conference in Sydney in 1975, Goodhart said that “any observed statistical regularity will tend to collapse once pressure is placed upon it for control purposes.” Goodhart’s Law states that when a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure.

Six Thinking Hats Model

six-thinking-hats-model
The Six Thinking Hats model was created by psychologist Edward de Bono in 1986, who noted that personality type was a key driver of how people approached problem-solving. For example, optimists view situations differently from pessimists. Analytical individuals may generate ideas that a more emotional person would not, and vice versa.

Mandela Effect

mandela-effect
The Mandela effect is a phenomenon where a large group of people remembers an event differently from how it occurred. The Mandela effect was first described in relation to Fiona Broome, who believed that former South African President Nelson Mandela died in prison during the 1980s. While Mandela was released from prison in 1990 and died 23 years later, Broome remembered news coverage of his death in prison and even a speech from his widow. Of course, neither event occurred in reality. But Broome was later to discover that she was not the only one with the same recollection of events.

Crowding-Out Effect

crowding-out-effect
The crowding-out effect occurs when public sector spending reduces spending in the private sector.

Bandwagon Effect

bandwagon-effect
The bandwagon effect tells us that the more a belief or idea has been adopted by more people within a group, the more the individual adoption of that idea might increase within the same group. This is the psychological effect that leads to herd mentality. What in marketing can be associated with social proof.

Moore’s Law

moores-law
Moore’s law states that the number of transistors on a microchip doubles approximately every two years. This observation was made by Intel co-founder Gordon Moore in 1965 and it become a guiding principle for the semiconductor industry and has had far-reaching implications for technology as a whole.

Disruptive Innovation

disruptive-innovation
Disruptive innovation as a term was first described by Clayton M. Christensen, an American academic and business consultant whom The Economist called “the most influential management thinker of his time.” Disruptive innovation describes the process by which a product or service takes hold at the bottom of a market and eventually displaces established competitors, products, firms, or alliances.

Value Migration

value-migration
Value migration was first described by author Adrian Slywotzky in his 1996 book Value Migration – How to Think Several Moves Ahead of the Competition. Value migration is the transferal of value-creating forces from outdated business models to something better able to satisfy consumer demands.

Bye-Now Effect

bye-now-effect
The bye-now effect describes the tendency for consumers to think of the word “buy” when they read the word “bye”. In a study that tracked diners at a name-your-own-price restaurant, each diner was asked to read one of two phrases before ordering their meal. The first phrase, “so long”, resulted in diners paying an average of $32 per meal. But when diners recited the phrase “bye bye” before ordering, the average price per meal rose to $45.

Groupthink

groupthink
Groupthink occurs when well-intentioned individuals make non-optimal or irrational decisions based on a belief that dissent is impossible or on a motivation to conform. Groupthink occurs when members of a group reach a consensus without critical reasoning or evaluation of the alternatives and their consequences.

Stereotyping

stereotyping
A stereotype is a fixed and over-generalized belief about a particular group or class of people. These beliefs are based on the false assumption that certain characteristics are common to every individual residing in that group. Many stereotypes have a long and sometimes controversial history and are a direct consequence of various political, social, or economic events. Stereotyping is the process of making assumptions about a person or group of people based on various attributes, including gender, race, religion, or physical traits.

Murphy’s Law

murphys-law
Murphy’s Law states that if anything can go wrong, it will go wrong. Murphy’s Law was named after aerospace engineer Edward A. Murphy. During his time working at Edwards Air Force Base in 1949, Murphy cursed a technician who had improperly wired an electrical component and said, “If there is any way to do it wrong, he’ll find it.”

Law of Unintended Consequences

law-of-unintended-consequences
The law of unintended consequences was first mentioned by British philosopher John Locke when writing to parliament about the unintended effects of interest rate rises. However, it was popularized in 1936 by American sociologist Robert K. Merton who looked at unexpected, unanticipated, and unintended consequences and their impact on society.

Fundamental Attribution Error

fundamental-attribution-error
Fundamental attribution error is a bias people display when judging the behavior of others. The tendency is to over-emphasize personal characteristics and under-emphasize environmental and situational factors.

Outcome Bias

outcome-bias
Outcome bias describes a tendency to evaluate a decision based on its outcome and not on the process by which the decision was reached. In other words, the quality of a decision is only determined once the outcome is known. Outcome bias occurs when a decision is based on the outcome of previous events without regard for how those events developed.

Hindsight Bias

hindsight-bias
Hindsight bias is the tendency for people to perceive past events as more predictable than they actually were. The result of a presidential election, for example, seems more obvious when the winner is announced. The same can also be said for the avid sports fan who predicted the correct outcome of a match regardless of whether their team won or lost. Hindsight bias, therefore, is the tendency for an individual to convince themselves that they accurately predicted an event before it happened.

Read Next: BiasesBounded RationalityMandela EffectDunning-Kruger EffectLindy EffectCrowding Out EffectBandwagon Effect.

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