Recently in [2-29] Self and Society: Mead, Simmel, Du Bois Category

Patrick Buxbaum blog #2 29 feb, 2012

How does, according to Simmel, the position of stranger differ from non-stranger and what does this position allow for stranger and why?

To wander or to be detached from permanency of any one and everyone given point in space is essentially what makes one a stranger. The stranger holds with in him the choice and discipline to arrive and vanish at any time, choosing his every move whether it be for business or pleasure and to do so with no emotional baggage keeps him labeled as a stranger rather than one of the village. This can also be said about his lacking the ability to be one with the people as a whole although the stranger with out a doubt plays an intrical role within the group.

The stranger is not seen as a negative member of the functioning society but as a trader, and a trader always enters the group as a stranger. He differs from people who are born in a village/town and live there whole lifes in that town because he did not originate from that town, he more than likely came as a trader, thats how history has it at least. He differs from the locals not only because they view him differently but also because he views himself differently. Often times a stranger or traveler can never shake his want to travel, or distant himself from the society he lives in even if he has settled in it and seems to be staying.

The role of the stranger allows that individual to view things from his own perspective, not letting emotions, family and community connections fog the view in which he sees his surroundings. His ability to remain objective to all situations he encounters prevents him from projecting prejudices onto others. This ability learned through many life lessons allows the stranger to treat even his close relationships through a set of binoculaurs.

The stranger is always near and always far. In modern times a stranger is at it was 100 years ago he may not come to as a trader although he very may well. A stranger is a human walking across the street who you can relate to through his shoes. A man that borrows you a quarter. The lack of emotional connection allows the stranger to view in most cases without prejudices that often come when one is of the same village. To know one is to know there weaknesses and faults and that often leads to judgement and prejudice.

How does one develop a sense of Self according to Mead? What is the significance of social act and interaction in this process?

According to George Mead, to develop a sense of self, one must go through "the process of social experience and activity" (pg. 282). Innately, one is not born with "a self". Mead believed that there was a deeper meaning to someone than what is seen on the outside, physically. "The self has a character which is different from that of the physiological organism proper" (pg. 282). For example, I could say that I am an Asian-American female who is 5'1 with long black hair and lives in Minnesota. Though all those things are true about me, that doesn't define me in accordance to Mead's theory. The social experiences and activities that aid in developing a self occur all throughout one's life. To put into perspective, take the notion of wanting to improve your craft (whatever it may be, such as playing an instrument). To progress, you must work on it repetitively. You may develop new ways and techniques throughout your practicing, you may even fail and find out what once worked, doesn't anymore. That's alright though, because these things are all necessary in order to maximize yourself to become better. The same concept goes for developing a self. Your every day social interactions (just like practice/work) are what "progresses" you (as in your sense of self). A way to describe a social interaction can be how you communicate with others. You may communicate a certain way with your boss differently than of your family and friends. This line of communication helps develop your relationships with these people. Alone, relationships are very important in life. There are different variations to a relationship. Depending on how close one views their relationship with another (for example, your relationship with your parents is probably more important to you than your relationship with a classmate), either way they are all an aspect that contribute to your life as a whole. From these relationships, they can shape and reflect on your personality, attitude, and mannerisms. These are some attributes of a self. However, one must be aware of these things because, "the body can be there and can operate in a very intelligent fashion without there being a self involved in the experience" pg. 283). In simpler words, you may be there physically; but not mentally. Social act and interactions play a prominent role in self development. The more you go through, the more you will learn and attain. It is an ever growing learning experience apart of life. People are never the same as they were when they were young. Through these experiences (pertaining to interactions and acts), you learn from them and can help shape you into your own sense of self. In this development, it affects you more than one way. "The self is essentially a social process going on with these two distinguishable phases. If it did not have these two phases there could not be conscious responsibility, and there would be nothing novel in experience (pg. 294)."

Simmel begins his work "The Stranger" by giving us a brief definition of how society describes a stranger, "If wandering, considered as a state of detachment fro every given point in space, is the conceptual opposite of attachment to any point, then the sociological form of "the stranger" presents the synthesis, as it were, of both of these properties" (Simmel pg. 295). Simmel's definition although a bit confusing condenses down to a very simple idea. A stranger, one who we see as detached from society, can more than just a person that does not belong, but a quality asset to the environment, Simmel uses the example, "..his position within it (society) is fundamentally affected by the fact that he does not belong in it initially and that he bring qualities into it that are no, and cannot be, indigenous to it. I believe that statement underlies our beliefs of strangers in the sense that they are strangers because they are different from the rest of society. Simmel's ideology towards strangers continues to dictate, "The following statements about the stranger are intended to suggest how factors of repulsion and distance work to create a form of being together, a form of union based on interaction" (pg. 295). Simmel's statement continues to contradicts societies view of the stranger, which is a person who is detached from society. Simmel's view of the stranger contradict the sociological definition of a stranger with the face that Simmel's stranger eventually anchors himself within society, Simmel uses the example of a trader. Simmel describes a trader, or merchant as a stranger considering only a small amount of goods are produced within an environment so in order for a merchant to obtain foreign items they are considered a stranger in the foreign environment. "Unless there are people who wanter out into foreign lands to buy necessities, in which case they are themselves "strange" merchants in this other region, a trader MUST be a stranger; there is no opportunity for anyone else to make a living at it." I broke down Simmel's statement to define merchants as strangers by means of travel. The merchants must travel to foreign lands to obtain necessities, forcing them to be strangers, but they make a considerable living by being a middleman of trade in any society where land and handicrafts satisfy local demands. According to Simmel the position of a stranger differs from a non-stranger in sense that the stranger is always mobile. The sense of mobility arises due to intermediary trade and pure finance give s the stranger a specific sense of mobility. Also a stranger does not own land, in the eyes of society he holds no more rank than a pesant. Simmel's definition of a stranger differs from a common use of the term in a sense that Simmel continues to describe merchants, although merchants were strangers of their time the members of society had knowledge of the merchants existence, or even deeper knowledge of the merchants history. Where as in a common society a stranger is considered an outcast, that nobody in society cares to get to know.

How does one develop a sense of Self according to Mead? What is the significance of social act and interaction in this process?

People usually classify themselves as who they are based on race and other traits that define them. Let's say that there is a girl who is 18 years old and lives in Wisconsin. If someone were to ask her to describe herself, she would say something about how she is an adult and is a Wisconsin citizen. In George Herbert Mead's eyes people cannot be defined based on their physical traits, or in other words "physiological organism proper"(p. 282). The self is not in a person at the beginning meaning at birth. According to George the self has to be developed through a "process of social experience and activity"(p. 282). People's personalities, skills, and everything else has to be developed. Supposedly there is someone who wants to be good at math. How do you think they will become good at math? If someone wants to become good at math all they have to do is study and practice math daily. Like someone who wants to be good at math people's self has to be developed the same way. Our bodies and self are two separate things. The body can be doing whatever it is doing while the self is or is not involved. You can be weight lifting, jogging, and etc. but you may not feel like doing it right? That is an example of an association of self. The self "is an object to itself"(p. 283). Another way to say it is the self is both a subject and an object at the same time. Pretend that you are working at Delta Airlines. You feel like being at work today. You start off the day fine and your manager is impressed. Here the self has shown to be a great worker and the self has shown to be an object of a good driving force. Let's look at this in a different aspect. You are there at work but you do not feel like being there. This time you are the subject of a worker but you are not the object of a good driving force. The self can only be developed through social interactions. Through social interactions the self is able to gain more knowledge and become affiliated with others. As George puts it, it is impossible for the self to develop without social interactions. It makes perfect sense. Without social interactions people would just be there all by themselves and not develop at all. Life would be boring and secluded. People would not learn new things and see other things that make life interesting. The self goes only through two stages of development according to George. When people have fully developed the self they have firstly mastered how to interact with people on an individual basis. Secondly a person has also mastered how to interact and stay with whatever social group they belong in. In a way I agree with George Herbert Mead on the concept of self. I agree because people have multiple sides to them depending on where they are.

Simmel in his work Stranger identifies a particular social form that, he thinks, exists across lots of societies. He starts his work by providing a working definition of this social form: stranger. What is this definition? How is Simmel's definition of stranger different from the everyday usage of the term?

How does, according to Simmel, the position of stranger differ from non-stranger and what does this position allow for stranger and why?

How does one develop a sense of Self according to Mead? What is the significance of social act and interaction in this process?