George Herbert Mead: Theory of Self and Identity for UPSC
A concise summary of the “I” and “Me” components, the development stages, and the concept of the Generalized Other, derived from Symbolic Interactionism.
Mead’s Core Concepts: Quick Reference
| Concept | Definition | Key Characteristic |
|---|---|---|
| The Self | The human capacity to take oneself as an object (self-awareness). | Emerged through social experience; not innate. |
| The “I” | The spontaneous, subjective, and impulsive aspect of the Self. | The Actor (Unpredictable, creative). |
| The “Me” | The objective, socialized part of the Self; internalized attitudes of others. | The Object (Socialized, conforms). |
| Generalized Other | The internalized attitude of the entire community or group. | Necessary for functioning in organized society. |
1. The Social Self: “I” and “Me”
Concept Origin:
Mead is a key figure in Symbolic Interactionism, emphasizing the role of language, gestures, and shared meaning in shaping human behavior.
Background:
In contrast to theories asserting the self is innate (like Freud), Mead insisted that the self is purely a social structure that emerges out of social experience and communication.
Key Idea:
The Self is developed by taking the attitude of the other towards oneself. You cannot be self-conscious without being aware of how others see you.
Mead conceptualized the Self as a continuous internal dialogue between two distinct phases:
The Dialogue of the Self: “I” vs. “Me”
- The “I” (Subject): Represents the unorganized, subjective response of the individual to the attitudes of others. It is the spontaneous, impulsive, and unreflective side of the person. It is where action, novelty, and creativity originate.
- The “Me” (Object): Represents the organized set of attitudes of others which the individual assumes. It is the internalized norms, roles, and expectations of society. It acts as the social censor, demanding conformity.
The total personality is the interplay between the non-social (I) and the social (Me). The “I” reacts to the organized expectations of the “Me.”
2. Stages in the Development of the Self
Mead argued that the capacity for self-consciousness develops sequentially through three key stages in childhood, moving from simple imitation to complex rule-taking:
Three Stages of Self-Emergence
- Imitation Stage (Preparatory Stage):
- Characteristics: The child merely mimics the behavior of others without understanding the meaning or intention behind the action.
- Outcome: No self-concept exists yet. The child is simply preparing for role-taking.
- Play Stage:
- Characteristics: The child is capable of role-taking, assuming the perspective of one specific other at a time (e.g., playing “mommy,” “firefighter,” or “doctor”).
- Outcome: The child begins to see itself as a separate entity (“Me”) from the perspective of a specific, Significant Other.
- Game Stage (The Organized Self):
- Characteristics: The child must internalize the roles of all participants simultaneously (e.g., in a baseball game, knowing what every player should do).
- Outcome: The child internalizes the Generalized Other—the collective attitude of the community—which gives the Self its stability and ability to function within complex society.
Flowchart: The Development of the Self
Stage 1: Imitation → (No Self)
↓
Stage 2: Play → (Specific Other)
↓
Stage 3: Game → (Generalized Other)
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The Full Social Self: Continuous “I” / “Me” Interaction
Significance/Analytical Use
- Micro-Level Focus: Forms the bedrock of micro-sociology and the Symbolic Interactionist perspective, shifting focus from structure to interaction.
- Socialization: Provides a robust theory explaining the entire process of socialization and how norms become internalized (the “Me”).
- Agency and Structure: The “I” and “Me” distinction perfectly encapsulates the sociological tension between individual agency (I) and social structure/determinism (Me).
- Crime and Deviance: Explains how individuals evaluate behavior against the standards of the Generalized Other and why certain actions are restrained.
In Essence:
Mead established that the Self is a product of society, emerging only through communication and the capacity to see oneself as an object. The continuous negotiation between the impulsive “I” and the social “Me” is what constitutes human consciousness and social behavior.
