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George Herbert Mead and the “Division Of Labor”: Macrosociological Implications Of Mead'S Social Psychology *
Author(s) -
Joas Hans
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
symbolic interaction
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.874
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1533-8665
pISSN - 0195-6086
DOI - 10.1525/si.1981.4.2.177
Subject(s) - german , normative , sociology , meaning (existential) , epistemology , george (robot) , social order , politics , order (exchange) , division of labour , psychoanalysis , social psychology , psychology , law , philosophy , history , art history , political science , linguistics , finance , economics
By presenting some results of an extensive reconstruction of George Herbert Mead's work published as yet only in German it is argued that Mead's work as a whole and particularly his social psychology contain an implicit conception of social order. This can be characterized as the idea that it is not normative integration as such, but communicative coordination that makes possible human society and social order. This is shown by findings on the early development of Mead's ideas (Hegelianism, Definition of the Psychical), on German influences in Mead, and on the meaning of democracy as self‐government in Mead's political biography. Some hints to a comparison of Mead with other concepts of social order (Durkheim; negotiated order approach) are given.