G.W. Mead

Sociological Theory
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
UMD
John Hamlin

A. LIFE AND TIMES

BORN FEB. 27,1863, SOUTH HADLEY, MASSACHUSETTS; DIED APRIL 26, 1931 IN CHICAGO

FATHER WAS A MINISTER, TAUGHT AT OBERLIN; HIS MOTHER WAS A PRESIDENT OF MOUNT HOLYOKE, AND TAUGHT AT OBERLIN
BOTH PARENTS PUSHED INTELLECTUAL PURSUITS AND ACHIEVEMENT
GRADUATED FROM OBERLIN COLLEGE; ATTENDED HARVARD, RECEIVED HIS MASTER'S DEGREE
CONTINUED HIS STUDIES AT LEIPZIG (KARL MARX UNIVERSITY) AND BERLIN
MARRIED HELEN CASTLE IN 1891
JOINED U OF M DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY AND PSYCHOLOGY
JOHN DEWEY REQUESTED HE JOIN THE FACULTY AT U OF CHICAGO IN 1894
MOST EXCELLENT TEACHER
PUBLISHED LITTLE COMPARED TO OTHERS
MIND, SELF AND SOCIETY, PUBLISHED AFTER HIS DEATH (WRITTEN FROM STUDENT NOTES)
HIS IDEAS INFLUENCED AND WERE CARRIED ON BY THE LIKES OF JOHN DEWEY, W.I. THOMAS, ELLSWORTH FARIS, HERBERT BLUMER, AND OTHERS

B. MIND, SELF, & SOCIETY

SOCIETY COMES PRIOR TO SELF
TRIED TO FUSE TOGETHER THE OBJECT OF EXPERIENCE AND THE EXPERIENCING SUBJECT

ALL HUMAN LIFE MUST BE SEEN AS A COOPERATIVE PROCESS

HUMAN BEINGS RESPOND TO GESTURES

AT THE NONHUMAN LEVEL ARE DEVOID OF CONSCIOUS MEANING OR INTENTION
WHAT LIES BEHIND GESTURES? IDEA
MEANING

WE RESPOND TO OTHERS BASED ON INTENTION - MEANINGS ; THEREFORE GESTURES ARE SYMBOLIC, NEED INTERPRETATION

SIGNIFICANT SYMBOL: WHEN SOMETHING COMES TO MEAN THE SAME THING TO BOTH SUBJECTS

WE COMMUNICATE BY SYMBOLS

MOST IMPORTANT - LANGUAGE, VOCAL

THINKING: EXPERIENTIALLY INTERNALIZED CONVERSATION OF MEANINGFUL SYMBOLS

WE INTERACT BY ROLE-TAKING AND ANTICIPATING AND COMPLETING THE ACT

SOCIETY IS SHARED SYMBOLS THAT ARISE THROUGH INTERACTION WITH OTHERS BASED ON SHARED MEANINGS

SYMBOL - INTERPRETATION - ACTION

INTERPRETATION ALWAYS IMPLIES FUTURE (AS WELL AS PAST AND PRESENT)

THIS HELPS DISTINGUISH HUMAN BEHAVIOR FROM ANIMAL BEHAVIOR

C. SELF

IF WE CAN RESPOND TO OUR OWN GESTURES THIS IMPLIES WE HAVE "SELF"
THIS IS POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF ROLE TAKING SELF
SELF DEVELOPS SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH OUR ABILITY TO TAKE THE ROLE OF OTHERS
SELF DEVELOPS THROUGH A PROCESS OF INTERACTION
D. GENESIS

PREPARATORY (IMPLIED BY MEAD)
IMITATION

THOSE CUTE BABY PICTURES WHERE THE CHILD LOOKS LIKE IT IS DOING SOMETHING ADULT

PLAY STAGE

PLAYING OF ROLES;

MOVES FROM ONE TO ANOTHER INCONSISTENTLY,

IS ABLE TO ACT BACK TOWARDS ONESELF, CHARACTERIZED BY THIRD PERSON REFERRAL

GAME STAGE

MANY ROLES SIMULTANEOUSLY
EXPECTATIONS OF MANY PEOPLE AT ONE TIME
THIS LEADS TO A BUILDUP OF A COMPOSITE ROLE OF THE GROUP OR COMMUNITY AT LARGE
GENERALIZED OTHER (ROLE)
CAN ACT IN ORGANIZED AND CONSISTENT MANNER

D. ASPECTS OF SELF

"I"

SPONTANEOUS
IMPULSIVE
PROPULSION FOR "ACT"

"ME"

INCORPORATED OTHER
MEANINGS COMMON TO THE GROUP
DIRECTION OF THE "ACT"

E. IMPLICATIONS

MINI-SOCIETY
ABILITY TO ACT TOWARD ONESELF
INTERNAL SOCIAL CONTROL
SELF IS ORGANISM
IT IS CENTER FOR HUMAN EXPERIENCE, THOUGHTS, ETC.
MEDIATES BETWEEN HUMAN ORGANISM AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT

F. MIND

MIND DEVELOPS WITH SELF

MIND IS LEARNED

SELF IN ACTION

MIND IS PROCESS

EMERGES OUT OF LIFE ACTIVITIES THROUGH COMMUNICATION

ONLY EXISTS AT CERTAIN TIMES WHEN USING SIGNIFICANT SYMBOLS

AS ORGANISMS WE ADAPT AND ADJUST TO THE ENVIRONMENT,

CONSTANT BOMBARDMENT OF STIMULI

SELECT WHAT WE NEED TO FIT THE ACTS WE ARE IN

STIMULI ARE NOT INITIATORS OF ACTIVITY; RATHER, ACTOR SELECTS

INVOLVES DELAY OF THE ACT, MENTALLY TRY OUT ALTERNATIVES BEFORE ACTION

SOCIAL ACTS ARE CONSTRUCTED
G. METHODOLOGY

PURPOSE:

TO UNDERSTAND HOW INDIVIDUALS PRODUCE THEMSELVES AND SOCIETY
HOW DO YOU STUDY THIS?

ALTHOUGH THOUGHT OF AS A HUMANIST HE BELIEVED IN MUCH OF POSITIVISM

METHOD GROUNDED IN HYPOTHESIS TESTING
GENERALLY THE SAME METHODS AMONG PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCE

NON POSITIVISTIC ASSUMPTIONS

SAW FACTS AND CONCEPTS AS SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIONS
USED DIALECTIC AND TELEOLOGICAL REASONING AND CAUSAL REASONING

FOCUS OF SOCIAL RESEARCH SHOULD BE ON SOCIAL ACT, SUBJECTIVE REFLECTION AND CHOICE (MOVEMENTS OF THOUGHT IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY, 1936:281):
"...THE SCIENTIFIC PROBLEM IS ONE THAT ARISES OUT OF THE EXCEPTIONAL EVENT, SOMETHING THAT IS CONTRARY TO LAWS AS THEY HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED, SO THAT ATTENTION IS DIRECTED TOWARD OBSERVATION AND TOWARD A STATEMENT OF THE SO-CALLED "FACT" IN TERMS OF THE PROBLEM THAT ARISES."

PROBLEM IDENTIFIED
HYPOTHESES STATED
(RESHAPE UNDERSTANDING OF REALITY SO PROBLEMATIC ASPECT DOES NOT INTERFERE WITH THEORETICAL IDEAS OR ACTION BASED ON THOSE IDEAS)

SUBJECT HYPOTHESES TO TESTS

MENTAL TEST
THINKING THROUGH ONES LOGIC AND APPLICATION TO SITUATIONS, HELPS CLARIFY IDEAS

OBSERVATIONAL TEST
FIND ACTUAL SITUATION WHERE YOU CAN SHOW HYPOTHESES CAN OVERCOME PROBLEMATIC

USE OF RESEARCH
NOT TO BUILD GRAND THEORY OR BUILD UP REPOSITORY OF FACTS
USED TO HELP ACTOR IN SITUATIONS - TELLS US WHAT WE MIGHT EXPECT

ALL SCIENTIFIC CONCLUSION ARE TENTATIVE
TRUTH IS NOT ABSOLUTE, BUT, RELATIVE TO HUMAN GOALS AND PRESENT CONDITIONS

THE TOTAL SOCIAL ACT SHOULD BE STUDIED, NOT JUST STIMULUS - RESPONSE
WE MUST UNDERSTAND THE INTERPRETATION PHASE OF THE SOCIAL ACT AS WELL AS STIMULUS AND RESPONSE

ALSO, WE NEED TO LOOK AT CONTEXT AS IT IMPACTS THE SOCIAL ACT

Remember, "There is more to the self than Mead's the I."

Mead's Obituary in the Chicago Tribune April 27, 1931

The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.

Copyright: © 2001, John Hamlin
Last Modified: Monday, 08-Dec-2008 07:06:08 CST
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