George Herbert Mead - Essay Example

generally, which arouse in the individual himself the response which he is calling out in the other, and such that from the point of view of that response he is able to direct his later conduct." The gesture of one individual is his response to the symbols being shown by the society. This is where the reaction of an individual comes from. Symbols always presuppose the ability of each participant in a communicative process to visualize his own performance from the standpoint of the others, to take the role of the others.

In nonsymbolic interaction human beings, like animals, respond directly to one another. In symbolic interaction, where they use significant gestures, they interpret each other's attitudes and act on the basis of the meaning yielded by such interpretations. In Mead's work individual responses on the way he sees the society. It is the society that dictates his actions and responses to one another. The society has somewhat really influenced me as an individual. . rates nonsignificant (unself-conscious) gestures, as found on the animal level, from the significant (self-conscious) gestures that characterize most human intercourse.

As an individual I usually act based on intuition. What the situation or the symbols presented to me is my cue as to what my decision would be. I have learned from George Mead writing's that interpretation is important. Interpreting once gesture or symbol would lead to a better communication. However sometimes simple reaction that is not intentionally done would result in problems and wrong interpretation. That makes me think that Mead maybe had a personal experiences on the symbols and action that he has mentioned on his writing.

For me what is important is how you convey your message to others. A simple tap on the shoulder of your friend would mean that you are on his side whenever he has a problem. Or others would interpret it differently. Mead had shown me the difference in the reaction of human to non human. Animals would behave differently than man. Sometimes animals would not show any signs that he is going to attack you, while human can show that he is going to attack by his facial reactions and gestures. The communicative process includes the self conscious adjustment of the person to the conduct of others.

The responses to each other conduct would include definition, redefinition and interpretation and reinterpretation. Experience is not first individual and then social. Each individual is continually involved in a succession of joint enterprises with others, which form and shape his mind. Consciousness is not a given; it is emergent. People would blame television and media when something bad happen. This resulted in many survey being done by several organization on the influence of media