In Mead’s view, the self develops as an individual interacts with others and comes to understand their perspectives. This process of taking on others’ perspectives is called role-taking. Through role-taking, individuals come to see themselves from a third-person perspective, as objects in the world rather than simply subjects experiencing the world (Schneider, 2006). From this third-person perspective, individuals can then reflect on their own thoughts and actions and assess them critically. This ability to take a step back and reflect on one’s own thoughts and actions is what Mead termed ” Objective Conscience.” Thus, for Mead, an individual becomes an object to him or herself through the process of role-taking and objective conscience.
Mead’s concept of the social act is that individuals take on different roles in order to interact with each other. For example, when two people are talking, one person is typically the speaker, and the other is the listener. The listener plays an active role in the conversation by responding to what the speaker says (Schneider, 2006). The significant gestures that people make also help to define their roles in social interaction. For example, a nod or a smile can signal agreement, while a shake of the head can signal disagreement. By understanding these concepts, we can better understand how we interact with others and how we see ourselves in relation to others.
In my everyday life, I apply these concepts; when explaining tough concepts to my friends, they always take the listening role. After finishing, they can ask questions as I listen to them. Through this way, all of us get to speak and listen in turns. Conversely, I constantly use the significant gesture of nodding when one of the listeners gets a question and answers correctly. Nodding symbolizes agreeing with the listener’s response while smiling is a sign of session enjoyment.
Reference
Schneider, M. A. (2006). The theory primer: A sociological guide. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.