Following the format of the American Psycho paper, here is another application of theory: George Herbert Mead's theory applied to the novel Clockers. Be warned: there are some spoilers if you have not read the book or seen the film. Again, please refrain from plagiarism.
From the University of Chicago's sociology department, George Herbert Mead emerged as one of the preeminent social psychologists of the day. Social psychologists are interested in studying the individual and their interactions with society. Mead's primary concern was to determine how modern persons are able to separate their thoughts and self-conscious from their actions. His answer was the pragmatic practice of role taking. A demonstration of Mead's concepts can be found in Richard Price's novel, Clockers.
To begin, we must first establish what Mead meant by 'modern person'. Prior to the Enlightenment and the rise of Protestant faith, individuals were perceived as unable to make their own decisions and were therefore dependent on group membership in religion and other social institutions to guide their lives. These were pre-modern persons. The Enlightenment and Protestant ethic countered this belief and contended that individuals were rational beings accountable for their own decisions. The 'modern person' is the rational individual who does not need to rely on social institutions to make decisions for them. (Allan, 140).
Pragmatism is a philosophical outlook that originated with this newfound modern person. Following the Civil War, Americans took a critical look at the ideas of morality and legitimacy that led to such a massive loss of life. Pragmatism is the belief that rational individuals are able to find meaning through the application of ideas that result in practical benefits. This is helpful to understanding Mead, because “Mead argues that the self is a social entity that is a practical necessity of every interaction. We need a self to act deliberately and to interact socially; it allows us to consider alternative lines of behavior and thus enables us to act rather than react. In pragmatism...decisions and ethics emerge out of a consensus that is based on a free and knowing subject: the self.” (Allan, 140).
Mead makes several initial assumptions regarding humans and society. He notes that humans are unique in that we differentiate ourselves from other animals by acting on stimulus rather than reacting to it. This is to say that after perceiving an environment and potential avenues of behavior, we use our rational mind to consider the options before selecting a response. “Actions requires the presence of a mind capable of symbolic, abstract thought and a self able to be the object of thought and action.” (Allan, 141).
He assumes that humans are a 'blank slate' when born, which is to say that our social interactions dictate our perceptions. We have no preconceived notions of social values when born; they are learned. Because we are capable of rational thought and have the ability to reason, we derive meaning from significant gestures and signs. These signs and gestures produce a “set of organized sets of responses.” (Allan, 142). Since the meaning of significant gestures is produced through social interaction, they become social objects. Social objects can be any idea or thing; it becomes a social object because we acknowledge, interact, and attach lines of behavior to it. Meaning is not inherently placed in any object. Meaning is reached through our perspectives and interactions. (Allan, 143).
Language is the primary significant gesture we use to interact. Language can be used to pragmatically control our environment and “this sign system comes to stand in the place of physical reality.” (Allan, 141). Society, then, “exists only as a set of attitudes, symbols, and imaginations that people may or may not use and modify in an interaction.” (Allan, 148). This brings us back to Mead's primary concern.“Because society is made up of interactions, the existence of human beings and the basic building blocks of society are wrapped up in understanding why people behave the way they do.” (Kruse, public presentation, February 27th, 2012).
As mentioned above, the 'self' is a social entity. Role taking is the primary way humans develop a self and the ability to interact with others. “Role taking is the process through which we place our self in the position (or role) of another in order to see our own self” and “in every social situation, we make a role for ourselves.” (Allan, 144). The use of significant gestures is crucial here, as it allows a person to role take. Assuming roles is a pragmatic exercise, for it allows one to experiment with roles in order to find the ones that are most beneficial.
There are three stages of role taking. Role taking typically occurs with children as they progress in their maturation and socialization. The first stage is called the play stage. The play stage is the stage where one can “take the role, or assume the perspective, of certain significant others.” (Allan, 146). The purpose of this is to get outside of one's self in order to see their own self from a different point of view. The next stage is called the game stage. During this stage, “the child can take the perspective of several others and can take into account rules (sets of responses that different attitudes bring out) of society.” (Allan, 147). The last stage is called the generalized other stage. Prior to reaching this stage, a person has only been able to assume the role of specific others. The generalized other stage is the “sets of attitudes that an individual may take toward himself or herself – it is the general attitude or perspective of the community.” (Allan, 147). This allows the individual to possess a “less segmented self as the perspectives of many others are generalized into a single view.” (Allan, 147).
It is important to note that an individual is not just a reflection of the surrounding society, but that the self is an active process. Mead identifies the existence of the interactive parts of the self, known as the 'I' and the 'Me'. The 'I' is the part of the self that allows us to act spontaneously. The 'Me' is “the part of the self that takes into account how others feel and societal expectations of the behavior.” (Kruse, public presentation, February 27th, 2012). Without the 'Me', our ability to act would be lost, for it helps the 'I' to act in a way that is socially acceptable. The 'Me' judges our behavior to determine whether or not it was the right course of action or if it will require modification in the future. The 'I' can act differently from the 'Me' and can “thus take action that the Me would never think of; it can act differently from the community.” (Allan, 149).
For the purposes of analyzing Clockers, one can use the concepts of the play stage and the 'I' and 'Me' parts of the self. As stated above, the play stage is a stage in development where one takes on a specific role in order to take a view of themselves from outside their normal behavior. The 'I' and 'Me' of the self are the two parts that take expected behaviors into account and choose to act in a specific way. After choosing the action, the 'Me' is able to evaluate the interaction and use that information to modify the course of action in the future.
Clockers is a novel that focuses on the intertwining lives of a group of drug dealers and police officers. The story is set in a housing project and the surrounding urban sprawl in the fictional town of Dempsey, New Jersey. The name of the book alludes to the very short career-span of a drug dealer, often measured in minutes rather than hours or days. A nineteen year old black male, Strike, is the main character. He is a small-time cocaine dealer who distributes the drug to a handful of even younger street dealers. His drug supply is provided by an aging dealer, Rodney.
Strike has grown weary with dealing drugs and is considering abandoning the lifestyle. He takes great efforts to conceal his profession and differentiates himself from other dealers by saving his money and keeping a low profile. Strike abhors uncleanliness and conflict and makes efforts to avoid either. Rodney offers Strike a promotion within their distribution chain that would take him off the street and allow him to make more money. Strike would be replacing a dealer named Darryl, whom Rodney has caught dealing cocaine from another supplier. The position will be given to Strike - but only if he kills Darryl.
After spending a day fretting over his options, Strike encounters his estranged brother, Victor, at a bar. While catching up, Strike concocts a vilifying story about Darryl in order to convince himself to commit the murder. Victor offers the services of a hit man who owes him a favor. Strike is surprised, since Victor has a family, two jobs, and has taken steps to distance himself from the crime surrounding their neighborhood. Strike assumes his brother is spouting drunken lies and dismisses the offer. Victor appears to keep his word, however, and Darryl is shot dead. Strike is shocked and does not know who is responsible for committing the murder.
Following the murder, Strike accepts the promotion. He begins grooming his replacement, an eleven year old from the projects, Tyrone. As Rodney introduces Strike to more members of the drug ring, Strike deduces that one of them is a friend of his brothers and therefore must have committed the murder. The homicide detectives assigned to Darryl's murder use their street connections to determine possible suspects. Despite his efforts to remain anonymous, the detectives identify Strike as a suspect since he stands to gain from the murder. The detectives question Strike but there is not enough evidence to arrest him. It is revealed that Victor was responsible for Darryl's murder, having impulsively committed the act after growing increasingly exasperated with his life.
Rodney is arrested on possession charges and he believes that the arrest stemmed from the police questioning Strike. Feeling betrayed, he sends an enforcer to kill Strike. Strike's young replacement, Tyrone, surmises that Strike will be killed and preemptively murders the enforcer. A local policeman who is a friend of Tyrone's family approaches Strike and threatens to kill him unless he leaves Dempsey. Strike uses his savings to buy an open-ended bus ticket and flees the city, his destination unknown.
A demonstration of the play stage can be found in the children in the projects, including Tyrone. Early in their interactions Strike displays a roll of money to Tyrone in an attempt to entice him, recalling that the “young boys around the project liked to tear and fold paper until they had a stack of blank pretend money and could play dope dealer, whipping out their roll, hiking one foot up on a bench and counting out loud like it was a good night.” (Price, 1992). These children have taken on the specific role of drug dealer and are acting out typical mannerisms in order to view themselves as potentially assuming that role in the future. Later on in the book, Strike looks around for Tyrone “and almost barked with surprise when he saw the kid rolling a bottle of vanilla Yoo-Hoo between his palms.” (Price, 1992). One of the things that Strike's is known for is drinking a bottle of vanilla Yoo-Hoo to calm his uneasy stomach. Strike's grooming has worked; Tyrone has picked up on this mannerism and has adopted it into a play stage that models Strike.
An example of the 'I' and 'Me' can be found within the description of an exchange between Strike and one of the homicide detectives working Darryl's murder case. The detective, Mazilli, owns a convenience store but rarely works there. Strike enters the store expecting one of the regular employees but instead finds Mazilli working behind the counter. Mazilli takes pleasure in tormenting Strike because Strike doesn't act like the typical drug dealer and Mazilli wishes to make Strike angry enough to draw out stereotypical bad behavior. Strike is caught off guard by Mazilli's presence, especially since he was “face-to-face with one of the cops charged with investigating Darryl's death. Strike took a second to compose himself, catch his breath.” (Price, 1992). Mazilli mimics Strike's urban slang in an attempt to anger him. Since Strike has braced himself for the interaction he exhibits restraint and is able to complete the transaction without breaking his composure. This is an example of Strike's 'Me' taking societal expectations into account, using his 'I' to make a decision and then acting accordingly. Mazilli wants Strike to act like a thuggish drug dealer but Strike knows that the course of action he decided to take was the proper one because he has not allowed Mazilli the satisfaction of seeing a break in character. This interaction provided a pragmatic result and will be stored for later and drawn upon in future communication.
As further reinforcement of the concept, the 'I' and 'Me' dictate the ending of Clockers. These two parts of the self are what influences Strike to break away from his normal modes of character when enticing Tyrone and involving the child in his life. Tyrone's actions following his connection with Strike have brought torment and grief upon multiple parties. Strike's predicament following the murder influences his decision to flee Dempsey at the end of the novel. Strike can no longer play the role of drug dealer, lest he tempt death at the hands of Rodney or the angered police officer. He considers his situation and acts in the best manner he sees fit. It is up to both the reader as well as Strike's 'Me' to determine if this was the best course of action.
Citations:
Allan, Kenneth. 2011. The Social Lens: An Invitation to Sociological Theory, 2nd Edition. Thousand Oaks, California: Pine Forge Press.
Kruse, Lisa. 2012, February 27th. George Herbert Mead/Powerpoint presentation, Sociology 3000. Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Mi.
Price, Richard. 1992. Clockers. New York, New York: Harper & Brothers.
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