Читать книгу Essentials of Sociology - George Ritzer - Страница 135

Of greatest importance in distinguishing humans from animals is a kind of gesture that can be made only by humans. Mead calls such a gesture a significant symbol, a gesture that arouses in the individual making it a response of the same kind as the one it is supposed to elicit from those to whom it is addressed. It is only with significant symbols, especially those that are vocal, that we can have communication in the full sense of the term. In Mead’s view—although more and more research on animals tends to contradict it (Gerhardt and Huber 2002; Gillespie-Lynch et al. 2013)—ants, bees, dogs, and apes are unable to communicate by means of such symbols.

Over time, humans develop a set of vocal significant symbols, or language. According to Mead, language involves significant symbols that call out the same meaning in the person to whom an utterance is aimed as they do in the person making the utterance. The utterances have meaning to all parties involved. In a conversation of gestures, only the gestures are communicated. With language, both the (vocal) gestures and the meanings are communicated. One of the key functions of language is that it makes the mind and mental processes possible. To Mead, thinking (and the mind; see the following section) is nothing more than internalized conversations individual humans have with themselves. It is little different from talking to other people.

Symbols also make possible symbolic interaction, or interaction based on significant symbols. This allows for much more complex interaction patterns than those that occur where interaction is based only on gestures. Because people can think about and interpret significant symbols, they can interact with large numbers of people and make complex plans for future undertakings. They can interpret the symbolic meaning of what others say and do and understand, for example, that some of them are acting in accord with their own plans. Animals lack the ability to make and understand complex plans.

Ask Yourself

What did George Herbert Mead mean by saying that thinking is so much like talking to yourself that it is little different from talking to other people? Do you agree with him? Why or why not? Think of some examples and counterexamples.