WHAT ARE THE MAIN SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MEADE'S AND FREUD'S APPROACHES TO SOCIALIZATION

What are the main similarities and differences between Meade's and Freud's approaches to socialization



What are the main similarities and differences between Meade's and Freud's approaches to socialization

Introduction

In this essay I will be discussing the theorists George Herbert Mead and Sigmund Freud, contrasting and comparing their ideas about the minds of individuals. In particular I will be looking at how each theorist accounts for the way in which the self is created and how it is regulated. I will firstly give a brief account of each theorist's ideas and then evaluate each aspect of their approach in correlation with each other; I intend to be able to differentiate to what extent the work of Freud and Mead bare resemblance. Lastly, I will look at how relevant their theories are within more contemporary sociological debate.

Main body

Mead is connected with the figurative interactionist approach within the branches of sociology. His main emphasis was that the self emerged from social experiences, and the ability to be reflexive. Mead argued that the self did not exist at birth and that the construction of the self occurs within primary and secondary socialisation. Mead propose that social knowledge involves communication and the exchange of symbols, and so individuals make sense of each other's underlying intentions through the recognition of symbols. Mead argues that what is unique to humans is the ability to understand intention and that individuals do this by imagining themselves in the position of another; by putting yourself in another's shoes you can see yourself as that person does. This process of self-consciousness is fundamental as it permit individuals to see beyond themselves, and incorporate norms, values and expected behaviours, leading to a more functional society. This capacity of the self to incorporate the viewpoint of the other and act accordingly is suggestive of the fact the self has specific components.

Mead called these components the 'I' and the 'me', the 'I' representing the subject element of the self, and the 'me' representing the self as an object. as we are able to form impressions of ourselves (Macionis and Plummer, 2005: 163). Mead focused on childhood being a significant time in the emergence of the self. He argued that there are four main stages to the creation of the self (2005: 165). The first is the 'preparatory stage'. Mead argued that during this stage, young infants are only able to engage in imitation, mimicking the behaviour of others without understanding the meaning and intentions of such actions. Mead argued therefore that at this stage the infant has no self, but this phase of mimicking is the key to progression. As the infant becomes subject to more experiences they enter a 'play stage', where they learn to use language and symbols. They are then able to model themselves on significant others, usually the primary care givers, by 'playing mummy and daddy', for ...