Chicago School and its role with the development of communication.
...e primary group study looks at how individuals form their own social nature. It looks at primary groups, by which he means, “those characterized by intimate face-to-face association and cooperation. They are primary in several senses but chiefly in that they are fundamental in forming the social nature and ideals of individuals.” The way to better understand this is to look at an example. A family member, such as a mother or father, in most circumstances, would graciously do something for the family without any reward because that work would be measured in terms of a contribution as a whole. However it they were to do the same thing outside of the home environment (secondary group) for an unknown stranger they would find it totally unacceptable. Family and friends will happily sacrifice themselves if it helps people within the primary group, which they are part of. A clear distinction between the two groups is that the primary group is built upon the spread of commonality between its members rather than upon an exchange of specific services or benefits; which would be expected within a secondary group. The notion of the looking glass self when put simply is our perception or sense of self. As stated in Rogers ‘The Chicago School’ chapter, “the looking glass self is the idea that human interaction reflects the immediate environment to the individual, thus serving as a mirror for the mind” . The looking glass self is made up of three prime elements: “The imagination of our appearance to the other person, the imagination of his/her judgment of that appearance, and some sort of self-feeling, such as pride or mortification.” As with Cooley’s first concept, the primary group, the looking glass seld is best explained with an example. This example is one that Cooley would often use himself when presenting the theory to an audience. Imagine an encounter between Alice, who has a new hat, and Angela, who just bought a new dress. Cooley argues that we then have, 1) the real Alice, known only to her maker. 2) Her idea of herself; e.g. "I [Alice] look well in this hat." 3) Her idea of Angela's idea of her; e.g. "Angela thinks I look well in this hat." 4) Her idea of what Angela thinks she thinks of herself: e.g. "Angela thinks I am proud of my looks in this hat." 5) Angela's idea of what Alice thinks of herself; e.g. "Alice thinks she is stunning in that hat." And then vice versa, six similar phases of Angela and her dress. George Herbert Mead’s work is similar to that of Cooley’s, hence their dual founding of interactionist social psychology, which is better known as symbolic interaction. This is a “sociological perspective which examines how individuals and groups interact, focusing on the creation of personal identity through interaction with others. Of particular interest is the relationship between individual action and group pressures.” Not only did Mead work with Cooley he also shared a strong friendship with Dewey, whom he founded Pragmatism (a school of philosophy, which is perhaps the only American school of thought) along with Peirce, James and Tufts. Dewey was appointed chairman of Philosophy at Chicago University and accepted only on the proviso that Mead would be offered a position as assistant professor. It was then that the University of Chicago became home to American Pragmatism. It was from 1894 until Mead’s death in 1931 that he worked at the Chicago University where he made significant contributions in the study of social psychology and philosophy. Meads most significant involvement to the study of social psychology was to examine and explain how the human self arises in the process of social interaction, particularly by way of linguistic communication. According to Mead the human self develops through a social process of interaction with others, rather than being born with ones self, and developing instinctively. In Meads words, “The self is something which has a development; it is not initially there, at birth, but arises in the process of social experience and activity, that is, develops in the given individual as a result of his relations to that process as a whole and to other individuals within that process” Mead raises some interesting points which are often thought about, but people find it difficult to elaborate on them. According to Mead, the individual internalizes the interpretations and meanings of various others that they have observed throughout their life, to create a somewhat stereotypical ‘other’. Throughout life we consciously and subconsciously adopt the behavior of the group of people with whom we associate ourselves. Our mannerisms are consistently changing across different cultures as well as within our own, which makes it all the more difficult to communicate with one and other as we have to constantly learn to act not just in relation to the expectations of a few people, but also an entire culture. However significant communication among individuals creates a world of “common (symbolic) meanings within which further and deliberate social acts are possible” . John Dewey was perhaps the “most widely known and influential philosopher the United States has ever produced.” In 1894, Dewey accepted his position at the University of Chicago, where the years that followed saw Dewey significantly develop his major theories. Dewey’s major belief was that individuals find self-realization only when they are in the company of others; this is why he heavily believed that community is essential to democracy. Dewey strongly believed that all education comes from ones participation in society. The process eventuates at birth and continues throughout the rest of an individuals life, constructing and developing their various features such as habits, powers, feelings and emotions. Throughout life ...