George Herbert Mead

George Herbert Mead (1863-1931)

Father- Hiram Mead, Congregational minister (1869-1881) Faculty of Oberlin Theological Seminary

Mother- Elizabeth Storrs Billings Devoutly religious Taught two years at Oberlin

After death of husband in 1881 President of Mount Holyoke College (1890–1900 )

South Hadley, MA

George Herbert Mead

Attended Oberlin College (1879–1883) Harvard (1887–1888) Mead taught at University of Michigan (1891–

1894) Worked with John Dewey

Married Best friend Henry Castle’s sister Helen

(1891)

George Herbert Mead

Dewey, Chair at University of Chicago (1894) Hired Mead

University of Chicago Philosophy instructor Later: Chair of Philosophy Department

Social Environment

Progressive Era (1889-1920) Reformers: Children from Protestant families

Often preacher’s kids

Improve society rather than save souls

Help the “masses”

Peaceful reform not revolution

Faith in science, reason, education, & own abilities

Social Environment Volunteerism

Self-discipline

Practical action

Optimism about future

Accomplish own goals

Also help others

Social Environment

Social Problems & Reform U. of Chicago encouraged faculty to

focus on social problems Address practical problems Close friends with Jane Addams

Reform Activities Mead involved in:

Women’s rights

Improving lives of workers

Prison reform

Juvenile justice reform

Race relations

Intellectual Roots

Hegel: Dialectical process & creation of self Self emerges through “I” & “Me”

Conversation between the I (Thesis) & Me (Antithesis), the self (Synthesis) emerges

The Self as Process

The I and the Me

Intellectual Roots Pragmatic Philosophers: Peirce, James, Dewey

Meaning of object depends on purpose at the time

Human action result of reflective self Not stimulus/response

Meaning enables person to achieve goals

Charles Horten Cooley Looking-glass self

Mead’s Ideas

Society: Process of adaptation to the environment. Involves:1. Division of labor2. Cooperation3. Communication4. Human interaction5. *****Taking role of the other

Mead’s Ideas

Social Act People adapt behavior to actions of others “Taking the role of the other” = Assessing

possible reactions to various behaviors Choosing behavior that achieves most desired

reaction Mutual role-taking allows people to coordinate

behavior

Gestures Abbreviated acts

Almost instinctual

Examples: Raising arm in threatening way Opening arms in greeting

Gestures

Gestures and Significant Symbols

For Gesture to be significant Must “mean” same to both organisms“Meaning” involves capacity to

consciously anticipate how others will respond to symbols or gestures

Significant symbols

Fundamental elements of language

Nothing about symbol conveys meaning

Meaning based on agreement

Response requires interpretation

Examples of Symbols

IdeasMind, Self, & Society

1. Mind: Process not a thing2. Self: Product of minded behavior3. Society: We construct the world in

which we live4. Mind, self, & society are interdependent

Ideas

Socialization Develop self by learning to role-take:

1. Imitation2. Play3. Game4. Generalized other

Mead’s Relevance to Sociology

Social psychology Influence on micro sociology

Symbolic interactionism Term coined by Herbert Blumer

Mead’s student