How did Mead study the development of the self?
My approach involved observing and analyzing the process of social interaction itself. I examined how individuals, particularly children, learn to take the role of the 'other.' This begins with simple imitative play, then progresses to 'game' play where one must understand the roles of multiple others. Ultimately, this leads to the internalization of the 'generalized other,' representing the organized attitudes of the community. This iterative process of interaction and role-taking is how the self, with its capacity for reflection and self-awareness, emerges.
Ask George Herbert Mead the follow-up →