Do you think I and Me are central terms in Mead's work? (UPSC CSE Mains 2018 - Sociology, Paper 1)
- According to George Herbert Mead (1964b), the self is a distinct identity that sets us apart from others. It is not a static phenomenon, but continues to develop and change throughout our lives.
- Self has two parts. One part of the self operates as the subject, being active and spontaneous. Mead called the active side of the self the “I” (the subjective form of the personal pronoun). The other part of the self works as an object, that is, the way we imagine others see us. Mead called the objective side of the self the “me” (the objective form of the personal pronoun). All social experience has both components: We initiate an action (the I-phase, or subject side, of self), and then we continue the action based on how others respond to us (the me-phase, or object side, of self).
- The “I” is the immediate response of an individual to others. It is the incalculable, unpredictable, and creative aspect of the self. People do not know in advance what the action of the “I” will be: “But what that response will be he does not know and nobody else knows. Perhaps he will make a brilliant play or an error. The response to that situation as it appears in his immediate experience is uncertain”. We are never totally aware of the “I,” and through it we surprise ourselves with our actions. We know the “I” only after the act has been carried out. Thus, we know the “I” only in our memories. Mead lays great stress on the “I” for four reasons. First, it is a key source of novelty in the social process. Second, Mead believes that it is in the “I” that our most important values are located. Third, the “I” constitutes something that we all seek—the realization of the self. It is the “I” that permits us to develop a “definite personality.” Finally, Mead sees an evolutionary process in history in which people in primitive societies are dominated more by the “me” while in modern societies there is a greater component of the “I.”
- The “I” gives Mead’s theoretical system some much-needed dynamism and creativity. Without it, Mead’s actors would be totally dominated by external and internal controls. With it, Mead is able to deal with the changes brought about not only by the great figures in history (for example, Einstein) but also by individuals on a day-to-day basis. It is the “I” that makes these changes possible. Since every personality is a mix of “I” and “me,” the great historical figures are seen as having a larger proportion of “I” than most others have. But in day-to-day situations, anyone’s “I” may assert itself and lead to change in the social situation. Uniqueness is also brought into Mead’s system through the biographical articulation of each individual’s “I” and “me.” That is, the specific exigencies of each person’s life give him or her a unique mix of “I” and “me.”
- Mead also looks at the “I” and the “me” in pragmatic terms. The “me” allows the individual to live comfortably in the social world, while the “I” makes change in society possible. Society gets enough conformity to allow it to function, and it gets a steady infusion of new developments to prevent it from stagnating. The “I” and the “me” are thus part of the whole social process and allow both individuals and society to function more effectively.
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