Final answer:
The difference between the 'I' and the 'me' in George Herbert Mead's theory is that the 'I' represents the spontaneous and autonomous reaction to the social environment, while the 'me' represents the internalized expectations and attitudes of others towards oneself.
Step-by-step explanation:
In George Herbert Mead's theory, the concept of the 'I' and the 'me' are vital for understanding the development of the self through social interaction. Option C) best describes the difference between the two: the 'I' is the aspect of oneself that is the response to the social environment which is spontaneous and autonomous, while the 'me' represents the internalized attitudes of others. This is reflective of our social self and how we believe others see us, acting as society's view within us. Mead's work emphasizes the role that social experience and activity play in creating the self, where the 'I' is the subjective component of the self and the 'me' is the objective component.
During the development of the self, children go from the preparatory stage, where they simply mimic others, to the play stage, where they start to adopt roles. Finally, they understand the concept of the 'generalized other,' which is the organized and generalized attitude of a social group. This process highlights how our self-identity is constructed through our understanding of how we are perceived by others, which is the essence of Mead's symbolic interactionism.