Table of Contents
Definition of Generalized Other
(noun) George Herbert Mead’s (1863–1931) term for expected behaviors, norms, and values considered the standard in one’s community or society; “what is expected of you”.
Generalized Other Pronunciation
Syllabification: gen·er·al·ized oth·er
Audio Pronunciation
Phonetic Spelling
- American English – /jEn-ruh-liezd UHTH-uhr/
- British English – /jE-nuh-ruh-liezd UHTH-uh/
International Phonetic Alphabet
- American English – /ˈʤɛnərəˌlaɪzd ˈʌðər/
- British English – /ˈʤɛnərəlaɪzd ˈʌðə/
Usage Notes
- Plural: generalized others
- Variant spelling: generalised other
- Agents of socialization help develop an understanding of the generalized other.
Additional Information
Related Terms
Works Consulted
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Cite the Definition of Generalized Other
ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “generalized other.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved April 23, 2024 (https://sociologydictionary.org/generalized-other/).
APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)
generalized other. (2013). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/generalized-other/
Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “generalized other.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed April 23, 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/generalized-other/.
MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)
“generalized other.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2013. Web. 23 Apr. 2024. <https://sociologydictionary.org/generalized-other/>.