description George Herbert Mead Overview
George Herbert Mead (1863-1931) was an American philosopher and social theorist associated with pragmatism and the University of Chicago. He examined how communication and social interaction shape the mind, the self, and shared meanings, distinguishing between the spontaneous "I" and the socially formed "me." His ideas, assembled posthumously in Mind, Self, and Society, strongly influenced symbolic interactionism, although Mead did not use that term for his own work.
insights Ranking position
George Herbert Mead ranks #1 of 245 in the Sociologist ranking, ahead of Émile Durkheim.
help George Herbert Mead FAQ
What are Mead's "I" and "me"?
The "me" is the internalized set of social expectations a person has learned from others. The "I" is the person's less predictable response to those expectations, and the self emerges through their continuing interaction.
What is the generalized other in Mead's theory?
The generalized other is the organized perspective of the wider community that individuals learn to take toward themselves. It lets a person participate in activities governed by shared rules rather than react only to particular people.
How do play and games help form the self?
In play, a child takes the role of a specific other, such as a parent or teacher. In an organized game, the child must understand several roles and their shared rules at once, which develops the perspective of the generalized other.
Did Mead publish Mind, Self, and Society himself?
No. The book appeared in 1934, after Mead's death, and was assembled from student notes and other materials by Charles W. Morris and collaborators. It therefore presents Mead's ideas through an edited posthumous text.
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