People live in a world of meaning. Discuss by drawing examples from G.H Mead's theory
PEOPLE LIVE IN A WORLD FULL OF MEANING. EXPAND BY DRAWING ON THE WORK OF
G.H MEAD
According to George Herbert Mead (1863-1931), generally regarded as the founder of symbolic interactionism, human thought and experience owe their nature to the fact that human beings interact in terms of symbols, the most important of which is contained in language. For instance, if an individual was to say the word “dog" to another person, both persons would have a similar mental image of a dog.
Symbols impose particular meanings to objects and are necessary since humans have no instincts to direct their behaviour. In order to survive people must therefore construct and live within a world of meaning. When hunters on the
African Savanna categorise an antelope (a symbol) as a source of food, they define what is significant in the natural environment and respond to it. For Mead, symbols are socially constructed. In every culture, one will find a set for symbols made and shared by a particular social group. People are able to uncover and interpret the meanings because they have knowledge about these symbols, they have engaged in culture. The meanings are passed on through socialisation and are instilled through role-taking, a process whereby the individuals learn how they ought to behave in a particular situation as expected by the norms of their culture.
The process of role-taking involves one person taking on the role of another by imaginatively placing oneself in the position of the other. For example, if a person observes another smiling or crying, they will put themselves in that person's position in order to interpret the meaning of their action. On the basis of their interpretation, they will formulate their response to the action of the other. The person with whom they are interacting will then take their role, interpret their response and act accordingly. In this respect, human action can be seen as a continuous process of interpretation, with each person
G.H MEAD
According to George Herbert Mead (1863-1931), generally regarded as the founder of symbolic interactionism, human thought and experience owe their nature to the fact that human beings interact in terms of symbols, the most important of which is contained in language. For instance, if an individual was to say the word “dog" to another person, both persons would have a similar mental image of a dog.
Symbols impose particular meanings to objects and are necessary since humans have no instincts to direct their behaviour. In order to survive people must therefore construct and live within a world of meaning. When hunters on the
African Savanna categorise an antelope (a symbol) as a source of food, they define what is significant in the natural environment and respond to it. For Mead, symbols are socially constructed. In every culture, one will find a set for symbols made and shared by a particular social group. People are able to uncover and interpret the meanings because they have knowledge about these symbols, they have engaged in culture. The meanings are passed on through socialisation and are instilled through role-taking, a process whereby the individuals learn how they ought to behave in a particular situation as expected by the norms of their culture.
The process of role-taking involves one person taking on the role of another by imaginatively placing oneself in the position of the other. For example, if a person observes another smiling or crying, they will put themselves in that person's position in order to interpret the meaning of their action. On the basis of their interpretation, they will formulate their response to the action of the other. The person with whom they are interacting will then take their role, interpret their response and act accordingly. In this respect, human action can be seen as a continuous process of interpretation, with each person