George Herbert Mead was a late 19th century sociologist known for his theory of the social self, which proposes that individuals develop a sense of self through social interactions. According to Mead, the self has two parts - the "me" which represents how we view ourselves based on society's expectations, and the "I" which is our own identity. He believed language, play, and games help form the social self as they require understanding others and social rules. Mead's theory challenged views that the self was based on biology alone by arguing it emerges from experiences with others.

2. George Herbert Mead, a sociologist
from the late 1800s, is well known
for his theory of the social self,
which includes the concepts of
'self,' 'me,' and 'I.'
Mead's work focuses on
the way in which the self
is developed.

3. Mead's theory of the social self is based on the
perspective that the self emerges from social
interactions, such as:
• observing and interacting with others
• responding to others' opinions about oneself
• and internalizing external opinions and internal
feelings about oneself
The social aspect of self is an important distinction
because other sociologists and psychologists felt
that the self was based on biological factors and
inherited traits.
According to Mead, the self is not there from birth,
but it is developed over time from social
experiences and activities.

4. According to Mead, three activities develop the self:
language, play, and games.
Language develops self by allowing individuals to
respond to each other through symbols, gestures,
words, and sounds.
Play develops self by allowing individuals to take on
different roles, pretend, and express expectation of
others. Play develops one's self-consciousness through
role-playing.
Games develop self by allowing individuals to understand and
adhere to the rules of the activity. Self is developed by
understanding that there are rules in which one must abide by
in order to win the game or be successful at an activity.

5. According to Mead's theory, the self has two sides
or phases: 'me' and 'I.'
The 'me' is considered the socialized aspect of the
individual. The 'me' represents learned behaviors,
attitudes, and expectations of others and of society.
The 'I', therefore, can be considered the present and
future phase of the self. The 'I' represents the individual's
identity based on response to the 'me.'
The 'me' and the 'I' have a didactic
relationship.

6. Humans learn the expectations of
society through socialization.
Socialization is different based on
race, gender and class.

8. Families introduce children to the
expectations of society.
Socialization is different based on
race, gender and class.

9. The average young person (age 8–19) spends 6 3/4
hours per day immersed in media in various forms,
often using multiple media forms simultaneously.
Television is the dominant medium,
although half of all youth use a computer
daily.

10. For children, peer culture is an important source of
identity.
Through interaction with peers, children
learn concepts of self, gain social skills, and
form values and attitudes.

11. Children tend to develop the same religious beliefs
as their parents.
Very often those who disavow religion return to
their original faith at some point in their life,
especially if they have strong ties to their family of
origin and after they form families of their own.

12. Through sports, men and women learn concepts of
self.
Men learn that being competitive in sports is
considered a part of “manhood.”

13. In school, teachers and other students are the
source of expectations that encourage children to
think and behave in particular ways.
Research finds that teachers respond differently to
boys than to girls, with boys receiving more of their
attention.