Compare and contrast Cooley and Mead's theories on the development of self. Please include the "looking-glass self," the "I" and the "me," as well as the "generalized other" in your answer.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answers will vary but should include definitions of terms. Cooley's looking-glass self: the idea that we develop self-image from how we think others see and respond to us. Parental interactions are earliest and so have the most important effects on the formation of self-image. Mead's theory of the development of the self refers to the notion that we have internal conversations with ourselves. These internal conversations are related to our interactions in the world. The self develops over time, and we learn to treat the self as an object, meaning that we can step back and look at ourselves as others do. This goes through stages. First is the play stage, which is being able to imagine what someone else thinks and taking that into consideration. This expands to the game stage, when we can include other specific people with whom we have a relationship. Finally, we mature during the game stage to a concept of the "generalized other," which is being able to look at oneself not just from specific viewpoints but also from an abstracted "other" person or group perspective. Cooley and Mead share a concern with the micro level (individual mind, self), and both prioritize social interaction in the formation of the self. Mead's theory of the self differs from Cooley in that it sees the self as made up of two parts: the "I" and the "me." The "I" is our immediate response and is unconscious and somewhat unpredictable. The "me" is the part that internalizes the way behavior is seen by others and analyzes this through societal responsibilities.