I am having trouble understand the concept of the 'generalized other.' I know it has something to do with how people as a whole connected to eachother, but I'm not totally grasping it. Is it everyone in general, or is it the concept of another generalized by everyone? ...Or am I speaking nonsense?
2007-03-15 16:46:12 · 2 answers · asked by Bridi 2 in Social Science ➔ Sociology
It's the general norm within a social group.
2007-03-15 16:50:24 · answer #1 · answered by pepper 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
According to Mead, when you are very little the only person you can empathize with are your significant others, mostly mom. For Mead, empathy means getting inside the other person's head and seeing the world as the other sees it, and feeling what the other feels. In time, however, we learn to empathize with anyone. This is the generalized other: the ability to see the world from the perspective of any another person. Have you ever seen someone do something stupid and your face flushed red and you felt embarrassed for them? You were participating in "role taking" if you have. You don't even have to know the person you feel embarrassed for, and they may even be someone on TV. Because they are not a significant other, they are a part of the generalized other. Whenever you anticipate someone else's actions while you are driving, you are, in essence, looking at the world through the eyes of the other driver, which is also taking the role of the generalized other. We progress from role taking with significant others to role taking with generalized others through make believe games where we, as children, pretended to be other people and imagined the world as they would see it. The easiest way to understand George Herbert Mead is to check out a book on sociological theory. Most books on classical theory have a chapter devoted to Mean.
2007-03-15 17:34:57 · answer #2 · answered by Rick 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Generalized Other
2016-09-30 00:47:37 · answer #3 · answered by gearlds 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This Site Might Help You.
RE:
The 'generalized other'?
I am having trouble understand the concept of the 'generalized other.' I know it has something to do with how people as a whole connected to eachother, but I'm not totally grasping it. Is it everyone in general, or is it the concept of another generalized by everyone? ...Or am I...
2015-08-06 22:22:50 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Generalized Other Definition
2016-12-14 08:09:23 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
In the Generalized Other by Mead, he describes the generalized other as the social norm. Meaning the kind of behavior, mannerisms, appearance and so on that is socially acceptable. He refers to the "I", which is the gradual understanding of what is accepted and expected( "the generalized other"). He also refers to the "me", which is quite simply the observer.(someone who observes the behavior of the norm, or "generalized other"). I hope this helps, I recently took an exam on this subject. There is an excellent excerpt on wikipedia.com.
2007-03-17 03:10:00 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋