GEORGE HERBERT MEAD

THEORY OF “SELF”
SELF SOCIAL PRODUCT PRODUCED FROM THE RELATION WITH OTHER PEOPLE

ü TO HIM, SELF SHAPED BY SOCIALIZATION AS A LIFE PROCESS

EX: NEW BORN BABY……..LACK SENSE OF SELF (UNABLE TO INTERPRET)

CHILD……..LEARN TO PROVIDE MEANING TO THEIR BEHAVIOR AND STEP OUT OF THEMSELVES

This very process gives the sense of “SELF”

 MEAD AND THREE STAGES OF FORMING ‘SELF’

1. PREPARATORY STAGE
2. PLAY-STAGE
3. GAME-STAGE
1. PREPARATORY STAGE (About age 2 or less)

üImitation stage
üChild imitate behavior of others around them
üSymbols : gestures, words, objects
2. PLAY STAGE (Age 2-6)

üDetermine by Role-Playing
üStarts taking the role of the people around them, i.e starts internalizing roles
of other who are significant to them, which Mead termed as Significant Other
üChildren can take only one role at a time
3. GAME-STAGE (About age 7 and above/early school years)
üIdentify the proper and correct roles, i.e. Learns their role in relation to others and how to take
on the role of everyone else in a game
üCapable to understand social position of them and others around them
üFinal stage of self-development
üChild learns and follow game-rules, i.e. learns their own role in the game and differentiate the
role of their team members
üThis what meant ‘Generalized Other’ by Mead
üChildren gain social identity, i.e. Age of socialization where child learns to understand that
they are just a part of bigger universe
üPlays numbers of roles simultaneously at the same time
• CONCLUSION

‘SELF’ DEVELOPS AND GROWS IN A SOCIAL CONTEXT

 b. Elements of Social Structures

• Society
• Culture
• Social institutions
• Social status and role
• Social norms and values
• Social structure and function
• Meaning, definition and types of social function
 SOCIETY

Meaning

Derived from means

• Society ‘Socius’ companionship or friendship
latin word
 SOCIETY cont……

DEFINITION
“A society is a collection of individuals united by certain relations or mode of behavior
which mark them off from others who do not enter into these relations or who differ
them from behavior”
MORRIS GINSBERG

“Society is a web of social relationship”

MACIVER
 SOCIETY: CHARACTERISTICS

• CONSISTS OF PEOPLE
• MUTUAL INTERACTION AND MUTUAL AWARENESS
• SOCIETY IS ABSTRACT
• SOCIETY IS UNIVERSAL
• SOCIETY IS CHANGEABLE
• CONSISTS OF COOPERATION AND CONFLICT
• INTERDEPENDENCY AMONG ITS MEMBERS
• DISTINCT CULTURE
• RESTS ON LIKENESS AND DIFFERENCES
• DOL
 CULTURE

MEANING
ØNepalese word ‘sanskrit’ means ‘culture’ in english derived from sanskrit word
sanskar, meaning pure action
ØCulture makes the biological being into a social being
ØIts history is as old as the history of human
ØMain concept of anthropology and fundamental in sociology
 CULTURE Cont……

DEFINITION
[Link], “Culture as a complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, moral, laws,
customs and any other capabilities and habits acquired by a man as a member of
society”

“Culture as an accumulation of thoughts, values and objects; it is the social heritage

acquired by us from preceding generations through learning, as distinguished from the
biological heritage which is passed on to us automatically through the genes”
GRAHAM WALLAS
 CHARACTERISTICS

• It is human made • Source of social and moral

education
• Social property not a personal one
• Not hereditary by acquires one’s • Not simplex but complex
life time
• Deals with the study of history
• It is society specific
• It is transferrable • Material and non-material culture

• It is dynamic • It is continuous
 TYPES OF CULTURE

1. MATERIAL CULTURE
2. NON-MATERIAL CULTURE
 SOCIAL INSTITUTION

MEANING

It is a system, abide by certain rules and regulation, norms and values made by
human to satisfy various needs and achieve a goal

The management of working procedure develop by member of the society which

assists to fulfill needs and meet the ends
DEFINITION

‘Institutions may be defined as the established form or condition of procedures

characteristics of group activities’
MACIVER AND PAGE

“Institution is an organization of collective behaviors established as the social

heritage and meeting some persistent needs or want”
[Link]
 CHARACTERICTICS

vSpecific objectives
vAbstract nature
vBased on norms and values
vWritten and unwritten
vInstitution is structured
vMeans to satisfy needs and goals
vAs a form of working procedure
v More stable
vSymbolic
 SOCIAL STATUS AND ROLE

SOCIAL STATUS
MEANING
üPosition/Rank/Level of an individual
üStatus Differs based on specific institution
DEFINITION

MORRIS GINSBERG says, “A status is a position in a social group or grouping, a

relation to other position held by other individuals in the group or grouping”

“Status is the place in a particular system, which a certain individual

occupies at a particular time”
RALPH LINTON
 TYPES OF STATUS

1. ASCRIBED STATUS
EX: SEX, CASTE, RELIGION, CULTURE…..

2. ACHIEVED STATUS
EX: EDUCATION ATTAINMENT, JOB POSITION, PRESTIGE……
 CHARACTERISTICS

• MULTI-NATURE
• SOME SOCIAL STATUS ARE CHANGEABLE WHILE OTHER ARE NOT
• DIFFERS BASED ON SITUATION
• TANGIBLE IN NATURE
• GIVE RISE TO SOCIAL STRATIFICATION
• HELPS TO MAINTAIN SOCIAL ORDER
• SYMBOLIC
SOCIAL ROLE
MEANING

Generally, it signifies work, specified responsibility

Sociology Role expected behavior at a certain time at certain space

DEFINITION

According to Young and Mack, “A Role is the function of a status”

For Kingsley Davis roles refers to “the manner in which a person actually carries
out the requirements of his position”
 CHARACTERISTICS

• Each individual pose different social role

• Role varies based on time, space and situation
• It is changeable
• Social roles are based on skill and expertise
• Social roles are interdepended
• Some social roles are shared
• Some social roles are confined to only one or comparatively few individuals
• Some social roles are voluntarily
• Certain roles are involuntary
 CLASS ASSIGNMENT

“STATUS AND ROLES ARE TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN” ELABORATE THIS STATEMENT
 SOCIAL NORMS AND VALUES

SOCIAL NORMS
MEANING
ØCommon standards or ideas that provide guidance to the members/group’s
rules of proper behavior
ØA source of social order
ØGenerally known as “standards of group behavior”
DEFINITION

According to Young and Mack, norms refer to the “group-shared expectation”

To Donald and Suzanne, norms refer to “the rules that guide behavior in
everyday situations and are derived from the value”
 CHARACTERISTICS

• UNIVERSAL
• STANDARD OF GROUP BEHAVIOR
• NORMS INCORPORATE VALUE JUDGEMENT
• RELATED TO FACTUAL ORDER
• INTERNALIZED BY PEOPLE
• NORMS VARY WITH SANCTION
• NOT ALWAYS OBEYED BY ALL
• RELATIVE TO SITUATIONS AND GROUPS
SOCIAL VALUES
MEANING

economics
Differ according
to discipline
Value philosophy

sociology
 • Value means price
Economics

• Value means ethics

Philosophy

• Value means constituent parts of social structure

Sociology
DEFINITION

“Avalue is a belief that something is good and worthwhile. It defines what is

worth having and worth striving”
Michael Haralambos

“Values are board, abstract, shared standards of what is right, desirable and
worthwhile”
Bassis, Gelles and Levine
 CHARACTERISTICS
• UNIVERSAL
• PROVIDE GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR CONDUCT
• VALUES ARE SPECIFIC
• MAINTAIN STABILITY OF SOCIAL ORDER
• SOCIAL SOURCE OF PATTERNED BEHAVIOR
• VALUES ARE CHANGEABLE
• VALUES ARE CONTRADICTORY
• VALUE IS PUBLIC AND VESTED
• VALUE LEGITIMIZE THE RULES TO GOVERN SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES
TYPES OF SOCIAL NORMS
 • Meaning
Folkways • Definition
• Nature/Characteristics

• Meaning
Mores • Definition
• nature/Characteristics

• Meaning
Customs • Definition
• Nature/Characteristics
 FOLKWAYS

MEANING

§ Introduced by [Link] in his book entitled “Folkways”, 1906

§ Literally it means “the ways of the folk”
§ Here “folk” means “people” and “ways” means “behavioral habits”
§ It generally refers to accepted ways of behavior
§ It is a ways through which human adapt themselves in the environment
§ It includes those behavior through which human meets the needs of their social life
DEFINITION

As per Sumner, “Folkways represent man’s unique means of adapting himself to

the environment”

Lundberg’ “Folkways are the typical or habitual beliefs, attitudes and styles of
conduct observed within a group or community”
Examples: ways of eating, dressing, playing, interacting, walking, working, talking,
greeting, brushing, bathing, respecting elders and loving juniors, mutual
understanding, mourning etc
 NATURE/CHARACTERISTICS

• Social in nature
• Repetitive in character
• Unplanned origin
• Informal enforcement
• Folkways differ a Lot
• Folkways vary age, sex, social class, caste/ethnicity, race, etc
• Folkways are numerous
• Folkways are subject to change
 MORES

MEANING

Behavior patterns which are not only accepted but also prescribed

Folkways which act to regulate the behavior refer to mores

Sumner used the term ‘mores’ (singular ‘more’) to those folkways which are considered
by group to be essential for its welfare and existence
DEFINITION

To MacIver and Page, “When the folkways have added to them conception of
group welfare, standards of right and wrong, they are converted into mores”

Gillin and Gillin, “Mores are those customs and group routines which are
thoughts by the members of the society to be necessary to the group’s continued
existence”
 NATURE/CHARACTERISTICS

• Regulators of the social life

• Relatively more persistent
• Vary from group to group
• Backed by values and religion
 CUSTOMS

MEANING

Socially recognized informal means of social control

Pervasive forms of folkways and mores
Socially accepted ways of doing things
Common social practices followed by majority of people
DEFINITION

KINGSLEY DAVIS, “Customrefers primary to practices that have often been repeated by a
multitude of generations, practices that tend to be followed simply because that they
have been followed in the past”

MACIVER AND PAGE, “The socially accredited ways of acting are the customs of
society”
 NATURE/CHARACTERISTICS

• Custom is social phenomenon

• Customs are followed by people mostly unconsciously
• Customs are varied in nature
• The origin of custom is obscure
• Customs are relatively durable
• All customs are not irrational
• Unique to the specific society’s time and space
SOCIAL STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
MEANING
SOCIAL STRUCTURE

ØLiterally, structure means ordered arrangement or combination of different

units/parts/elements having certain relation between each other
ØSimilarly society has its own structure known as ‘social structure’
ØThe components or units of social structures are ‘persons’
ØDuring 16th century it was used to denote to the interrelations between the
component parts of any whole
ØThe work of Herbert Spencer made the word social structure popular in
sociology
DEFINITION

Radcliffe-Brown, “Social structure is an arrangement of persons institutionally

controlled or defined relationship, (such as the relationship of King and subject,
or that of husband and wife)”

Morris Ginsberg says, “Social structure as the complex of principal groups and
institutions which constitute societies”
 ELEMENTS OF SOCIAL STRUCTURE

• Sub-groups of various types

• Consists of roles of various types
• Regulative norms governing sub-groups and roles
• Cultural values
 FUNCTION

MEANING
Mathematics

physiology Function sociology

Religion
 • Quantity connected with another that change in one affect
Mathematics the other

• Significant activity of organ, tissue or cell

Physiology

• Process where each unit of a social structure perform task in

Sociology relation with other unit
• Generally, it means ‘activity’ or ‘performing certain task’ or ‘doing a thing in a
proper way’

• Task performed by each unit/element of a social system having certain

meaning

• From sociological perspective, function means the constituent parts of a social

institution or cultural practices perform a role/task to maintain stability,
conhesiveness and social order in the society
 DEFINITION

“Fundtionare those observed consequences which make for the adaptation and
adjustment for a given system”
R.K Merton

Emile Durkheim says, “the ‘function’ of a social institution is the correspondence

between it and the needs of social organism”
 TYPES OF SOCIAL FUNCTION

R.K. Merton classified social function as

1. Manifest
2. Latent
3. Dysfunction
 SOCIAL STRUCTURE

ØNadel
ØRadcliffe brown
ØTalcott parson
 NADEL’S SOCIAL STRUCTURE

• THEORY OF SOCIAL STRUCTURE

• THREE CRITERIA OF SOCIAL STRUCTURE

 INTRODUCTION

• SIEGFRIED FREDERICK NADEL

• BORN ON 1903, VIENNA

• AUSTRIAN- BORN BRITIST ANTHROPOLOGIST

• STUDIED ON AFRICAN ETHNOLOGY

• HIS CONTRIBUTION

üThe Theory of Social Structure 1958 (posthumously published)

üThe Foundations of Social Anthropology 1951
üThe Theory of Social Structure
 CONCEPT OF SOCIAL STRUCTURE

“Structure refers to a definable articulation, and ordered arrangements of

parts. It is related to the outer aspect or the framework of a society and is
totally unconcerned with the functional part of the society.”
NADEL, 1942
• Structure relates to definable articulation, ordered arrangements of parts,
of social relations into structural roles and positions.’

• Social roles is pivotal in the analysis of social structure.

• Social structures are networks of social relations

• Can be studied in terms of coherence or interlocking into system

• These networks are created among the members of the society when they
interact with each other according to their status in accordance with the
patterns of a society.

• Social structure is relatively unchangeable while the parts are changeable

according to the rules in the society.
• The rules and patterns are limited and do not change easy therefore
there is orderliness or systematic in the society

• If the change in the parts do not adhere to the institutionalized rules it

would lead to chaos.
 THREE CRITERIA OF SOCIAL STRUTURE

Repetitiveness Durability of
of social social Moving
phenomena phenomena equilibrium
 RADCLIFF BROWN CONCEPT OF SOCIAL STRUCTURE

• Alfred Reginald Brown

• Born in Birmingham, England 1881
• Died on 1955
• In 1926, he added his mother’s maiden name to his own and rightly known as
[Link] Brown
• Entitled with “English Social Anthropologists of 20th century”
 CONTRIBUTION

• The Andaman Islanders (1922)

• The Social Organization of Australian Tribes (1930)

• Structure and Function in Primitive Society: (1952) (published posthumously )

 OUTLINE

• Brown’s definition of Social Structure

• Social Structure and Social Organization
• Social Structure and Institution
• Social Structure and Social Personality
• Actual Structure and Structural Form (Structural Continuity and Structural Form)
DEFINITION

Social Structure means “An arrangement of parts or components related to one another
in some sort of larger unity.”

In social structure, the basic elements are human beings or persons involved in social
life.

Social Structure “denotes the network of actually existing relations” with people
 SOCIAL STRUCTURE AND SOCIAL ORGANIZATION

• DISTINGUISH…….

ü Arrangement
üArrangement of activities
of people

Social Structure Social Organization

• The arrangement of activities of • The arrangement of persons in
two or more people that are relation to each other is the social
structure
adjusted to produce a unified
combined activity is known as Eg: A family is the relation of parents,
social organization. children, grandparents etc. with each
other.
Eg: Organization of work in a
factory, for example, the manager, • Most important structural feature, in
foremen, and workers all have Radcliffe- Brown’s opinion, is the
specific tasks to complete as part of arrangement of people into dyadic
the overall activity relationships or person-to-person
relationships, e.g. master-servant or
mother’s brother- sister’s son.
 Social Structure and Institution

• In Radcliffe-Brown’s words, Institution, “ Define for a person how he is

expected to behave, and also how he may expect others to behave”

• To him, these behaviors (rules) are violated by individuals from time to time
but there is provision of sanctions to cope with these deviants

• To Radcliffe- Brown, Social Structure has to be described in terms of the

Institutions, which regulate the relationships between persons or groups.
 Social Structure and Social Personality

interconnected
Social Social Personality
Structure

Position occupied by a human being in a

Social Structure
• It includes all complex social relationship of human with others

• According to Brown, every human being living in a society is of two things

1. An individual
Human being as an individual are studied by physiologists and psychologists
2. Person
Human being as a person is a complex of social relationships
Object of study for anthopologists as well as sociologists
Thus Brown concludes,

“We cannot study persons except in terms of social structure, nor can we study
social structure except in terms of the person who are the units of which it is
composed”
 Actual Structure and Structural Form (Structural Continuity and
Structural Form)

Actual structure Structural Form

Direct observation Reflected in the norms or ‘social usuage’

Concrete reality Abstract

Set of actually existing soial relations at a The patterns or kinds of relations which
given moment of time people maintain over a period of time

State of flux Relatively stable

Involves the idea of persist, i.e. dynamic Remain constant for some period of time
continuity
 TALCOTT PARSON

• American Sociologist
• Born on 1902 and died on 1979
• He is refered as father of Structural Functionalist
• Famous for his theory on Social Action and Structural Functionalism
 CONTRIBUTION

• THE STRUCTURE OF SOCIAL ACTION, 1937

• THE SOCIAL SYSTEM,1951
• ESSAY ON SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY, 1964
• SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY AND MODERN SOCIETY, 1967
• POLITICS AND SOCIAL STRUCTURE, 1969
• ACTION THEORY AND THE HUMAN CONDITION, 1978
 STRUCTURAL FUNCTIONALISM

• Parson’s work on Structural Functionalism is the merge reflection of the work of

sociologists Durkheim, Weber and Pareto

• Is a theoretical perspectives which seek to understand the each function of the

cultural elements that play vital role in supporting the structure of the society

• Individuals and cultural elements function to support the structure

• Parson’s regarded the society as a system and emphasized that social system must
consists of four pre-requites or functional imperatives known as AGIL-MODEL
(1950s)
• AGIL-Model states that all social system must perform these four functions to sustain
or survive in the society

• It is a systematic depiction of a societal function where every society must meet to

maintain stable social life

• This model is the part of his larger action theory, described in his work The Structure
of Social Action
Where AGIL-MODEL stands for,

1. ADAPTATION
2. GOAL ATTAINMENT
3. INTEGRATION
4. LATENCY OR PATTERN MAINTENANCE
1. Adaptation
• Relationship between system and its environment (physical and social)
• Capacity of a society to interact with its environment
• Adapt to the environment or adapt the environment as need to maintain equilibrium

2. Goal Attainment
• Define the goals
• Achieve the goals
3. Integration
• Coordination and solidarity among the subunits of the social system
• Regulate the interrelationship
• Maintain relationship with A,G and L

4. Latency
• Motivates and renew motivation of individual
• Transmitting the system’s distinctive culture and values between generations to
perform the roles according to the expectation
 SOCIAL ACTION

• His theory of social action (The Structure of Social Action, 1937) corresponds to
structure (society) and is influenced by Kant’s critical philosophy
• Every action is the product of dynamic and controlling forces
Eg: setting of classroom, action of one is the reaction of interaction with whom like teacher,
friends, or environment

• Every action is determine or made upof

 CONDITIONS OF SOCIAL ACTION

1. Social Aspect (social situation/social impact)

2. Motivational Aspect (oriented towards goal)
3. Value Aspect (regulated by norms and values)
4. Biological Aspect (involvement of energy)

Actor in not independent but his social action is depended upon these four conditions
 ELEMENTS OF SOCIAL ACTION

• Actor
• Situation
• Motivation
 EGO-ALTER

EGO ALTER-EGO
• One who perform action/ gives
• One who receives
speech
Eg: teacher delivering speech Eg: students listening

Interaction between two is a micro level interaction from where social system begins
 ORIENTATION OF SOCIAL ACTION

Motivational Value

Influenced by Weber concept Influenced by Durkheim concept

Determined by individual, once needs and Determined by societal norms and values
interest

1. Cognitive (one’s need) 1. Cognitive (society alternating

observation)
2. Cathactic (emotional) 2. Appreciative (which society value more)
3. Evaluative (best use of energy/alternative 3. Moral (judgement of right and wrong)
options)
 TYPES OF SOCIAL ACTION

Instrumental Action Expressive Action Moral Action

Action performed to Action performed for Action based between

achieve a goal satisfaction fair and unfair

Evaluative aspect Appreciative and Moral aspect dominant

dominant emotional aspect
dominant
Eg: studying hard for Eg: helping the needy Eg: human trafficking,
good score in an exam discrimination
 CONFLICT BETWEEN MOTIVATIONAL & VALUE ORIENTATION

• Pattern Variables

üMeans the way to behave/action depending up on situation

üBehave/action is guided by norms which turns to value and this became pattern
üThis pattern are various so referred as pattern variables
üWhen there arise conflict/confusion/ditomy/stress/tension in actor (ego) this pattern
variables provide alternatives way for action
üHe proposed five pattern variables
 PATTERN VARIABLE

According to Parson, Pattern Variable is a framework which helps to understand

how actor tries to negotiates with the action situation and manifest a particular
kind of behavior
 FIVE PATTERN VARIABLES

Pattern Variables Pattern Variable

Traditional Modern
Ascription Status Achievement

Diffuseness Role Specificity

Particularism Favour Universalism

Affectivity Gratification Neutrality

Collectivity-oriented Interest Self-oriented