Nam 1887 dng den hoc triet hoc d triidng Dai hoc Tong hdp Harvard diidi sii hiidng dan cua nha triet hoc, nha tam ly hoc William James. Sau khi hoc diidc mot nam, dng chuyen den Diic hoc triet hoc va tam ly hoc cua Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920) - ngiidi sang lap ra phong thiic nghiem tam ly hoc dau tien tren the gidi tai triidng Dai hoc To’ng hdp Leipzig va gap nha tam ly hoc Stanley Hall. Cac sii kien nay giai thich tai sao Mead da chiu anh hiidng rat dang ke tii phia cac nha tam ly hoc y thiic va chu nghia thiic dung (Pragmatism)1. Sau mot thdi gian d chau Au khdng hoan thanh diidc luan an tien sy, dng da trd ve My va nam 1891 dng day tam ly hoc va triet hoc tai triidng Dai hoc tong hdp Michigan d Ann Arbor Tii nam 1894, dng chuyen den giang
1 Theo Hans Joas, M ead tii coi minh la nha hanh vi luan nhung khong phai v6i nghia cua thuyet hanh vi co dien nhan manh yeu to phan xa, yeu to quan sat diidc t i ben ngoai cua hanh vi, ma theo nghia cua chu nghia thiic dung nhan manh yeu to' sang tao cua hanh dong cua ca nhan. X em Hans Joas. The Emergence o f the N ew : M ea d s Theory and Its Contemporary Potential, trong George Ritzer and Barry Smart (eds). Handbook o f Social Theory. London: Sage Pubhcations. 2001. Tr.96.
day mon tam ly hoc cl khoa triet hoc triidng Dai hoc tong hdp Chicago cho den khi ong mat nam 1931. Tac pham chinh cua Mead: Tam tri, toi vd xa hoi {Mind, S elf and Society) (1934) la tap hdp nhiing bai giang dUdc hoc tro cua ong bien tap va xuat ban sau khi ong mat1.
Phiidng phap tiep can. Dong gop ly luan va phUdng phap luan cua Mead doi vdi ly thuyet xa hoi hoc hien dai the hien d viec dng xay diing va phat trien nhiing khai niem nhu “cdi toi” , “nhan cach”, “tiidng tdc”, “bieu tiidng” de nghien ciiu dac diem va tinh chat dac thu cua moi quan he giiia ca nhan va xa hoi. Theo Blumer, Mead la ngudi duy nhat coi sii tUdng tac xa hoi trong dd cac ca nhan sii dung cac bieu tUdng va ly giai y nghia cua cac hanh dong cua nhau la chia khoa de hieu ban chat cua con ngUdi va cua xa hoi2.
Cac tac gia thuyet tUdng tac bieu trUng thudng sti dung nhting khai niem nhu “cdi toi”, “bdn nga”, “nhan cach”, “tri giac”, “tiidng tdc” . Nhung khdng vi vay ma quan niem cua ho bi coi la cua tam ly hoc. Dac biet, Mead phan biet rd cach tiep can xa hoi hoc vdi tam ly hoc ndi chung va vdi tam ly hoc xa hoi ndi rieng. Dieu khac biet cd ban d day la xa hoi hoc xuat phat tti chinh the xa hoi, boi canh, tinh huong xa hoi, tti hanh dong cd to chtic cua nhdm de giai thich hanh vi nhdm, hanh vi
1 George Herbert Mead. Mind, S e lf and Society: from the Standpoint o f a Social Behaviorist. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press.
1934, 1962. Phu de cua tac pham nay nhan manh cach tiep can xa hoi hoc vi mo, cu the la cach tiep can tam ly hoc xa hoi cua Mead.
2 Herbert Blumer. Society as Sym bolic Interaction, trong Arnold M . Rose (Ed.). Hum an Behavior and Social Processes: an Interactionist Approach.
Houghton-Mifflin. 1962.
cong dong va hanh vi ca nhan; con tam ly hoc xa hoi thi xuat phat tti cac hanh vi cua cac ca nhan rieng le de giai thich cac hien tudng cua nhom1.
Quan niem ve cdi toi vd ly thuyet tiicfng tdc ba ngoi. Quan niem ve “cdi tdi” la hat nhan cua thuyet tudng tac bieu trung cua Mead. Theo ong, “cdi toi” ma tam ly hoc goi la “bdn nga”
thUc chat la mot cau true xa hoi nay sinh tti kinh nghiem xa hoi ma ca nhan da trai qua trong moi quan he “ba ngoi” cua:
(1) ca nhan vdi ban than, (2) ca nhan vdi ngudi khac va (3) ca nhan vdi xa hoi. “Cdi tdi” la cau trtic toan ven mang tinh chu dong, tich cUc trong tat ca hinh thtic bieu hien cua nd. Moi hanh dong cua nd bi quy dinh bdi cac yeu to' kinh te'-van hoa- xa hoi-tam ly.
Quan niem nay cua nha tUdng tac bieu trUng ve ban chat cua ca nhan con ngUdi khac han vdi chtic nang luan. Thuyet chtic nang cd xu hudng coi ca nhan la mot thuc the thu dong chiu sU chi phoi cua cac nhan to' tam ly-xa hoi.
Mead cho rang can phai tim ra cd che hanh dong cua ca nhan. Cd che quan trong d day la sU hinh thanh “cdi tdi” va
1 Ve sU khac nhau giiia cach tiep can tam ly hoc va xa hoi hoc, M ead viet:
“Chung ta khong nhu trong tam ly hoc xa hoi dung xay hanh vi cua nhom xa hoi vcii nghia la hanh vi cua cac ca nhan rieng le hdp thanh, ma chung ta bat dau tii chinh the xa hoi da cho cua hoat dong phiic tap cua nhom, trong do chung ta phan tich hanh vi (nhii cac bo phan) cua tung ca nhan rieng le tao thanh. Tiic la, chung ta giai thich hanh dong cua ca nhan v6i nghia la hanh dong co to c h ic cua nhom xa hoi c h i khong phai tinh den hanh dong co to chiic cua nhom xa hoi vdi nghia la hanh dong cua cac ca nhan rieng le thuoc nhom do”. George Herbert Mead. Mind, S e lf and Society. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press. 1934. Tr. 7; X em them Le Ngoc Hung. Tam ly xa hoi: nhtfng thach thiic vd cd hdi phat trien. Tap chi Tam ly hoc. So 3.
1998.
sii “tU tUOng tac". Ca nhan tUdng tac vdi chinh ban than minh qua cd che doc thoai, til thoai, til “noi mot minh” , tii minh tac dong tdi chinh ban than va qua cd che tudng tac vdi ngufdi khac. Cac bieu hien cua cd che nay la viec dat minh vao vi tri cua ngUdi khac, ddng vai ngudi khac va ddng vai/nhap vai vao sii vat1.
Thdng qua cd che dd, cac yeu to cua mdi trUdng dUdc tach ra lam hai loai: mot la cac “sti vat” khach quan ton tai vdi tu cach la cac kich thich, khdng phu thuoc vao ca nhan va hai la cac “sti vat” ton tai vdi tu cach la doi tUdng cua hanh dong hay yeu to" tao thanh cau true cua hanh dong.
Cd the goi ly thuyet tUdng tac cua Mead la ly thuyet tudng tac “ba ngoi” vdi mot nghia niia la trong moi quan he vdi ngUdi khac mdi ca nhan deu xuat hien dudi ba hinh thai,
“ba ngoi” la: tdi (I), ban than (Me) va tu minh (Self). Mot cach tudng ting, Mead cho rin g cau true cua “cdi tdi” gom it nhat hai thanh phan: mot la cai “tdi” chu the (I) va hai la cai “tdi”
khach the (Me) ma dng con goi la hai “pha” , hai mat cua cau true xa hoi d cap vi md - cap ca nhan. Mead cho r in g thai do cua ngUdi khac tao thanh “toi”- khach the (Me) ma con ngUdi vdi tu cach la “toi”- chu the tudng tac vdi nd.
“Toi-chu the” bao gom cac phan iing chua dUdc dinh hinh, chua dUdc to’ chiic cua cd the ddi vdi thai do, hanh vi cua ngudi khac. “Toi-chu the” bieu hien ra thanh nhiing hanh dong tu phat, nhiing hanh vi tiic thdi va dac biet la d
1 M ead goi cd che do la dong vai (tro) cua su vat (taking the role o f the thing).
X em Hans Joas. The Emergence o f the N ew : M e a d s Theory and Its Contemporary Potential, trong George Ritzer and Barry Sm art (eds).
Handbook o f Social Theory. London: Sage Pubhcations. 2001. Tr. 93.
“Toi-khach t h i’ bao gom cac thai do co tmh to chuc dUdc dinh hinh cua ngUdi khac ma ca nhan nhan dUdc ve phia minh, tiic la sii hinh dung ve ban than ma ca nhan hoc dUdc tii nhiing ngUdi khac, la sii hinh dung ve ban than qua con mSt cua ngUdi khac.
Trong cau true kep Mead dua ra, cai “toi-chu t h i ' co kha nang dem lai cam giac doc lap, tu chu, sang tao trong hanh dong khac han v6i cai “toi-khach t h i ' dong vai tro dinh hucing, dieu chinh va kiem soat xa hoi doi vdi hanh vi cua ca nhan. Mead cho rSng chinh nhd co cau true kep nay ma cai toi thiic chat la mot cau true xa hoi, la mot qua trinh xa hoi dang dien ra vdi sU dan xen cua hai pha “toi-chu th i' va “toi- khach thi'.
Thanh phan thii ba la cai toi “tii minh” (Self). Cai toi nay xuat hien khi cai “toi-chu th i' phan than de tu nhin nhan, xem xet va danh gia chinh ban than no. Cai toi tu minh xuat hien ro, vi du, khi ta quyet dinh: toi tU lam lay mot minh va the hien qua ldi day “doi vdi tii minh phai can, kiem, liem, chinh''. Can chu y la cai “toi tii minh" va “toi chu th i' deu nam trong moi tUdng tac vdi chinh ban than cua ca nhan, do do thuoc ve mot phe, mot phia, doi lap vdi cai toi khach the luon n&m trong mo’i tUdng tac vdi ngUdi khac, hudng den ngUdi khac.
Ve cau true cua “cdi toi", ta thay quan niem cua Mead co phan giong vdi quan niem cua nha phan tam hoc Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) ve cau true cua nhan each. Theo Freud, nhan each co cau true kieu “ba ngoi mot th i' bao gom: “toi"
nhulng hoat dong tu giac.
(Ego), no (Id), sieu toi (Super-ego). Trong cau true ba ngoi do cai “toi" va cai “no" diing ve mot phe chu dong, chu the va cai
“sieu tdi” diing ve phe khach the, che ngii. kiem soat hanh dong cua ca nhan.
Trong mdi quan he vdi xa hoi, nhd “cdi tdi” ma con ngUdi cd mot loat cac kha nang hanh dong quan trong. Trong sd" dd can ke tdi, thii nhat, ca nhan cd the tu tach ra khoi ban than de nhin minh nhu mot ngUdi khac, tu dat minh ddi lap vdi ngUdi khac. Nhd vay ca nhan cd the phoi hdp, thong nhat hanh dong cua minh vdi hanh dong cua ngUdi khac. Thii hai, con ngudi cd the dat minh vao vi tri ngUdi khac, cd the ddng vai, nhap vai de hieu ngUdi khac, de tham gia vao cac qua trinh xa hoi va hoi nhap xa hoi.
Mead cung cho biet rang, trong qua trinh phat trien cua ca nhan den mot liia tuoi nhat dinh mdi hinh thanh cau true hai pha cua “cdi tdi”, den mot giai doan nhat dinh ca nhan mdi cd kha nang tu phan ddi tiic la tach dUdc minh ra khoi chinh ban than minh de nhin nhan, phan tich va danh gia ve ban than minh. Thdng qua cd che b it chudc, giao tiep, ddng vai trong cac trd chdi luc con nhd va trong qua trinh tiep xuc, trao doi, tUdng tac vdi ngudi khac luc ldn len ma hinh thanh cau true kep, cau true ba ngoi cua cai tdi. VI du, thdng qua giao tiep ca nhan hoc dUdc each ddng vai ngudi khac, hoc dUdc each dat minh vao vi tri ngudi khac. Nhd cac cd che nay, con ngUdi “nhap tam", thau tom dUdc cai xa hoi va trd thanh mot thanh vien cua nhdm, cong ddng xa hoi.
Nhu vay, cai tdi la mot loai cau true xa hoi dac thu nay sinh, phat trien trong mo'i tUdng tac xa hoi vdi ngUdi khac va vdi chinh ban than minh.
Khai niem “bieu ti/cfng” . Mead quan niem thanh to" cd ban cua tUdng tac xa hoi la bieu tudng (Symbol). Ong lay dieu bo cua mot ngUdi hut thuoc la de lam vi du giai thich y nghia cua bieu tUdng va tac dong cua no doi vdi moi tudng tac. Dieu bo khong nhiing la mot yeu to" hang dau cua mot hanh dong ma con la ky hieu, tin hieu cua ca hanh dong do"i vdi moi ngUdi. Khi mot ngUdi hut thuoc la rut tii tui ra mot bao thuoc la thi dieu bo hay cti chi nay du de khien cho mot ngUdi khong hut thuoc d ben canh hieu ngUdi do se lam gi va 'minh phai lam gi. NgUdi do se htit thuoc va ngUdi khong htit co the phai md ctia sd cho thoang. Nhu vay, chi can vtia nhin thay mot dieu bo nao do ta co the hinh dung dUdc toan bo hanh dong tiep theo.
Dieu quan trong la dieu bo cua ca nhan mang y nghia xa hoi, ttic la co mot nghia nhat dinh ma tat ca cac thanh vien cua cong ddng deu biet, deu hieu va deu co mot thai do va cach ting xti nhat dinh. Do do, trong quan he tudng tac dieu bo/cti chi cua ngUdi nay la sU kich thich lam nay sinh phan ting dap lai tti phia ngUdi khac. Tti khai niem ve dieu bo, Mead dua ra dinh nghia ve “bieu tM ng” theo kieu chu nghia hanh vi nhu sau: bieu tudng la mot loai kich thich ma phan ting dap lai no da dUdc dem lai tti trUdc.
Can ghi nhan cong lao cua Mead do"i vdi lich sti ly thuyet xa hoi hoc. Mot la: Mead da neu ra chu de ve sU thong nhat cua qua trinh ca nhan hoa (Individuation) va qua trinh xa hoi hoa ca nhan (Socialization khac vdi Societization - xa hoi hoa xa hoi). Hai la: Mead da gop phan dat nen mong phat trien hudng nghien ctiu xa hoi hoc
dinh tinh, xa hoi hoc vi mo va thuyet tudng tac bieu trUng trong xa hoi hoc hien dai1.