SOC-1101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: George Herbert Mead, Symbolic Interactionism, Norm (Social)
Document Summary
Language that allows human beings to become self-conscious beings -- aware of our own individuality. It is a system of symbols that represent objects and abstract thoughts. Symbols are concrete objects or abstract terms that represent something else (the term "big mac" represents a particular type of hamburger supplied by a fast food establishment. ) Charles cooley"s symbolic interactionism: we imagine how we appear to others, we imagine the reaction of others to our imagined appearance, we evaluate ourselves according to how we imagine others have judged us. The ability for role taking is the result of the two stage process of game stages. A child in its third or fourth year of age, begins to assume the status of individuals and acts out the behaviour associated with them. This imitation or play involves, acting and thinking, as a child imagines another person would.