‘Self-Development’ explores how an individual’s sense of self evolves and what influences shape this development.
This chapter discusses three main theories:
‘Mead’s Symbolic Interactionism Theory’, explains how the self adopts cultural contexts and how societal factors impact individual identity. ‘Piaget’s Model of Cognitive Development’ describes how human cognitive growth occurs through a series of distinct stages based on understanding the world. ‘Erikson’s Model of Psychosocial Development’, states that personal development progresses to the next stage when specific needs are met. This chapter also emphasizes how self-perceptions develop and transform over time, not just in humans but also in animals.
As someone who has spent years living in different countries, I have a unique perspective on Mead’s theory.
During my time in various countries, including those in East Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and North America, each with its own distinct cultures and ethnicities, I observed that I began to adopt the gestures and styles of expression of the local people.
I started to communicate using the gestures that are customary in those cultures, and they became a part of my identity.
For example, when greeting elders in India, I would perform the ‘Namaste’ gesture (as shown in the provided picture), while in Western countries, I would offer a handshake. In East Asian countries, the customary greeting is to bow to elders upon meeting them. These gestures have become ingrained in my self, and even when I return to these places after several years, I find myself using the same gestures subconsciously.
Comparison: How People Greet Each Other in Different Countries
But wait! While I was thinking the above, I got a different perspective in mind.
Imagine a scenario, in which a 2025’s woman time travels and go back to the society of 1825(200 years back), would the woman still adopt the same norms of the then society??. As we know, it was a time period of gender inequality. Women even lacked the basic right to vote and was considered not equal to men in workplace.
If I were that woman, would my ‘Rational Self’ accept that as a norm? No!!
In this case, should Mead’s theory include exception factors in the spectrum to which a particular self can reject the ideas or culture?? A question for you all.