What belief did George Herbert Mead hold regarding individual development?

George Herbert Mead is known for his significant contributions to the understanding of the self and the social processes involved in individual development. He emphasized that the self emerges from social interactions and the ability to see oneself from the perspective of others. According to Mead, individual development cannot occur in isolation; it is fundamentally shaped by communication and the social environment.

This perspective posits that through interactions with others, individuals learn to form their identities and understand their roles within society. Mead introduced concepts such as the "I" and the "me," which further illustrate how internalized societal expectations and interactions contribute to developing one’s self-concept. Thus, the belief that individual development is a social process captures the essence of Mead’s theories on how humans create meaning and self-awareness through engagement with the social world.