Sociale fundamenten van het zelf II: de gegeneraliseerde ander

George Herbert Mead proposed that children develop a deeper understanding of societal rules and norms as they move beyond the game stage.

Repeated participation in organized activities, such as those of a school or sports team, helps children recognize that their actions contribute to a larger, interdependent group.

Through this experience, children develop "the generalized other"—an awareness of the shared attitudes and expectations within organized groups.

As children consider what the group expects of them, they adopt the role of the generalized other, such as raising their hands before speaking in the classroom and regulating their behavior, which helps them resist impulsive urges like shouting out answers.

Children incorporate shared attitudes into their self-concepts but may misinterpret contradictory views. For example, a child who is encouraged to speak up at home but is silenced in class may struggle to know when to speak.

Likewise, when new perspectives contradict their self-concepts or experiences, children may resist accepting them, such as a boy rejecting being called weak by recalling a time he stood up for a friend to show courage.