The term for the internalized sense of society's expectations is what?

• A. I
• B. Me
• C. Generalized Other
• D. Self

Answer: (C)

In Mead’s view, the internalized sense of society’s expectations is the Generalized Other. It’s not a specific person, but the broader collection of norms and standards that people internalize as they socialize. This imagined view of how the generalized public would judge you helps guide your behavior even when no one is watching.

Think of it as the voice of the community you carry inside yourself, shaping choices to fit what’s considered appropriate or acceptable. This differs from the I, which is the spontaneous, impulse-driven part of the self, and the Me, which is the self as object formed by internalized attitudes from others. The Self is the overall sense of who you are, but the Generalized Other specifically refers to those society-wide expectations that you’ve internalized.