INDIVIDUAL SPONTANEITY AND THE POSSIBILITY OF COMMUNITY IN MEAD’S SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

Abstract

The central question of the present study is how to understand the spontaneity of the social self in George H. Mead’s account of the genesis and structure of the self. Its argument develops in three stages. First, I provide a brief discussion of the notion of the self in relation to social existence in Hegel in order to highlight some salient features that will prefigure some of the claims that Mead makes. Second, I discuss Mead’s theory in greater detail in order to emphasize the role of communication and ‘attitude-taking’ in the constitution of the self. These factors comprise what is particularly original in Mead’s account. Finally, I offer an evaluation of Mead’s key claims in the context of certain questions concerning the relationship between the individual and community. I think that Mead provides a sound scheme by means of which we can understand the constitution of the self as a social phenomenon and communities as dynamic systems susceptible to transformation in response to individual and/or group action, i.e., without reifying communities. However, the dynamics of social change, for the most part in terms of ‘adaptation’ in Mead’s account, needs some modification, if we want to understand those periods of social upheaval during which the continuity between the ‘old’ and the ‘new’ seems minimal.

Keywords

• Mead
• Self
• Spontaneity
• Community
• Social Change

MEAD’İN TOPLUMSAL PSİKOLOJİSİNDE BİREYİN KENDİLİĞİNDENLİĞİ VE TOPLULUĞUN OLANAKLILIĞI

Abstract

Bu makalenin temel sorusu George H. Mead’in kendilik/benlik oluşumu için sunduğu açıklamada, özünde toplumsal bir varlık olan benliğin kendiliğindenliğini nasıl anlayabileceğimizdir. Makalenin argümanı üç aşamada geliştirilmektedir. İlk olarak, Mead’in temel iddialarını daha netleştirmek adına, Hegel’de benlik ve toplumsallık ilişkisinin bazı hususları tartışılmaktadır. İkinci olarak, Mead’in kuramı iletişimin ve ‘tavır-alma’nın önemi vurgulanarak tartışılmaktadır. Bu tartışmalar, Mead’in açıklamalarının özgün boyutunu açığa çıkarmaktadır. Son olarak, birey ve toplum arasındaki ilişki üzerinden Mead’in temel iddiaları değerlendirilmektedir. Benliğin toplumsal bir varlık olarak kurulumunu ve toplulukların bireylerin ve grupların eylemlerine göre dönüşüme açık dinamik sistemler oluşunu anlamamızda, Mead’in kuramı geçerli bir çerçeve sunmaktadır. Ancak, toplumsal değişimi nihayetinde ‘adaptasyon’ kavramı ile açıklayan Mead, eski ve yeni arasındaki benzerliklerin asgari olduğu radikal toplumsal dönüşümleri açıklayabilmek adına geliştirilmeye ihtiyaç duymaktadır.

Keywords

• Benlik
• Kendiliğindenlik
• Topluluk
• Toplumsal Değişim

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