Deck 8: George Herbert Mead

Question 1

Mead calls ___________ the words and gestures that have the same meaning for all those involved in a social act.

A)Significant symbols
B)The "I" phase of the self
C)Meaning
D)Mind

Answer 1

A

Question 2

According to Mead, language allows for

A)the development of self-consciousness or mind
B)the existence or the appearance of situations or objects
C)the ability to take the attitude of the other
D)the existence of interactions

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Mead defines the ________ as a stage of development marked by a "whole" self where the individual is able to take the attitude of multiple others at one time.

A)I
B)me
C)play stage
D)game stage

Answer 3

D

Question 4

According to Mead, the "me" phase of the self occurs when:

A)We take sides during arguments that benefit us
B)We view ourselves as important
C)We respond to the attitudes of others
D)We take the attitudes of others toward our self

Question 5

Which three theoretical traditions were significant influences on Mead's body of work as outlined by the authors?

A)functionalism, pragmatism, Marxism
B)pragmatism, behaviorism, evolutionism
C)Marxism, functionalism, behaviorism
D)pragmatism, Marxism, symbolic interactionism

Question 6

Mead's utopian view of social progress -rests with his emphasis on

A)Science and education
B)Laguage and an expanding generalized other
C)Science and sociology
D)Language and symbology

Question 7

Mead defines the _______ as an organized set of attitudes of others which one himself assumes.

A)I
B)me
C)play stage
D)game stage

Question 8

Using the authors' theoretical orientation table, which of Mead's concepts would fall under the category of collective and nonrational?

A)I, me, play stage
B)I, game stage, play stage
C)Significant symbols, game stage, generalized other
D)Significant symbols, I, game stage

Question 9

Mead viewed language as a

A)neutral means for symbolically communicating with others
B)symbol of dominating forces within society
C)tool for establishing status and power
D)positively charged non-symbolic societal utility

Question 10

Mead's concept of "taking the attitude of the other" shares much with whose idea of a "looking-glass self"?

A)Emile Durkheim
B)Immanuel Kant
C)Charles Horton Cooley
D)W.E.B.Du Bois

Question 11

For Mead, the self

A)develops out of interaction with others based on significant symbols
B)develops in isolation from others thus allowing for individual traits to be firmly established
C)consists of learned responses to stimuli
D)is a stable entity that persists across the totality of person's social interactions

Question 12

According to the authors' metatheoretical model, Mead's work is predominantly __________ in orientation.

A)Individualistic and rationalist
B)Individualistic and nonrationalist
C)Collectivistic and rationalist
D)Collectivistic and nonrationalist

Question 13

According to Mead, the meaning of a gesture lies in

A)the intrinsic qualities of the gesture itself
B)the intention behind a person's gesture to another
C)the response of one individual to the gesture of another
D)the monetary value of a gesture within society

Question 14

What is the essential medium for the genesis of the mind and self and for the coordination of actions according to Mead?

A)generalized other
B)self
C)language
D)I

Question 15

Within Mead's conception of the mind, there occurs a "conversation of significant gestures" in which individuals

A)invoke memories from their childhood
B)take the attitude of the other
C)ignore the generalized other
D)connect language to visual images

Question 16

A child who is able only to switch successively between discrete roles while taking the attitude of the specific other is an illustration of the:

A)I
B)me
C)play stage
D)game stage

Question 17

The "generalized other" represents:

A)A structure arising from social experience.
B)The importance of language in the creation of the self.
C)The organized set of attitudes that are common in the group to which an individual belongs.
D)A thought process in which a symbol refers to some meaning of an object.

Question 18

For Mead, ___________ is a process or behavior that allows for the conscious control of one's actions.

A)A significant symbol
B)The "I" phase of the self
C)Meaning
D)Mind

Question 19

An eight year old child who pretends to be a "mommy" by feeding her "baby" doll is in the ___________ stage of development.

A)Game
B)Play
C)Thinking
D)Conscious

Question 20

__________ is a response to a gesture developed within a social act.

A)A significant symbol
B)The "I" phase of the self
C)Meaning
D)Mind

Question 21

Mead's belief that modern societies are characterized by a greater degree of complexity and functional interdependence is similar to which other classical theorist's ideas?

A)Charlotte Perkins Gilman
B)Emilé Durkheim
C)Karl Marx
D)W.E.B.Du Bois

Question 22

The highly developed, "global" ability to take the attitude of the other found expression in the creation of which group during Mead's time?

A)the United Nations
B)World Health Organization
C)League of Nations
D)The World Bank

Question 23

Define the three significant theoretical influences on Mead's work, making sure to show where their influence shows within Mead's work.

Question 24

Assuming the attitude of the generalized other allows us to realize abstract ideals such as freedom, individual rights, and fairness.

Question 25

Discuss Mead's view of the relationship between self-control and social control.

Question 26

What is the solution for when social control - through taking the attitude of the other - while necessary for sustaining a democratic society, must not impede the development of individual expression and the opportunity to realize one's potential?

A)functional superiority
B)generalized other
C)game theory
D)meaning

Question 27

Viewing ourselves as an object is the phase of the self Mead termed the "I."

Question 28

Define significant symbols and provide a concrete contemporary example of the concept.

Question 29

The key to creating a universal democracy lies in the evolution of which process?

A)social control
B)institutional forces
C)individual creativity
D)generalized other

Question 30

The play stage is marked by the ability to assume the roles of multiple others simultaneously.

Question 31

Gestures only have meaning if the other person responds to your intended result as you responded in your mind.

Question 32

Unlike Marx or Weber, Mead granted little attention to categories such as institutions, class or status.

Question 33

Our ability to think symbolically allows us to mentally rehearse lines of action without actually performing them.

Question 34

The self exists with the capacity to be both subject and object to one's self.

Question 35

In Society, Mead draws upon the liberal mythology of which nation?

A)Great Britain
B)Germany
C)The United States
D)France

Question 36

Without the "I," social life would be dynamic and relentlessly non-conformist.

Question 37

According to Mead what is the "threefold relationship" that generates meaning?

Question 38

Explain what Mead is referring to in Mind when he states "…it is the distinctive thing in human intelligence which is not found in animal intelligence."

Question 39

For Mead, the individual and the society to which she belongs are mutually dependent.

Question 40

Significant symbols are those which hold special meaning for the introverted individual.

Question 41

Discuss Mead's definition of meaning as a "threefold" relationship and the role significant symbols plays in this relationship. Be sure to use specific quotes from Mind to support your discussion.

Question 42

How does Mead define self-consciousness? What role does language play in the development of self-consciousness? What role does self-consciousness play in social interaction?

Question 43

Explain what the difference is between the play and game stages. How does the concept of the generalized other play into this distinction?

Question 44

Discuss how the self connects with self-consciousness in regards to Mead's writing and theory.

Question 45

Define the "I" and the "me" in your own words and provide a concrete example of a situation where both would come into play.

Question 46

Discuss the three central themes found in Mead's work: mind, symbols, and language. Define the role each plays for an individual in a society. Also discuss how the essence of meaning plays into these three central themes.

Question 47

Compare and contrast Mead's conception of the relationship between the individual and society to that of Karl Marx and Max Weber. Be sure to note which specific concepts are similar between theorists and what conceptions are absent.