George Mead has elaborated on the process of building social self which does not exist at birth. According to Mead, formation of self occurs in three distinct stages. 

Stage 1 – Imitation : In this stage, children imitate behaviour of adults without understanding it. Example : A little boy might drive his mother to her office by driving his toy car or help his parents clean the floor by pushing a broom.

Stage 2 – Play stage : A child plays, sometimes as being a mother or a teacher, at times a postal worker, a police officer etc. In this stage, responses are not organized. A child internalises the attitudes of others who are significant to her/his through enacting the roles of others. A significant other is someone whose opinions matter to us and who is in a position to influence our thinking.

Stage 3 – Game stage : As a child matures, and as the self gradually develops, one internalises the expectations of a large number of people. Children learn to behave according to the impressions of others. They understand that role play in each situation involves following a consistent set of rules and expectations. For example, a child at this stage is likely to be aware of the different responsibilities of people in a restaurant who together, make for a smooth dining experience. Thus, the self is mainly formed through our interactions with others and our understanding of others responses. Socialization, in this sense is a process of selfawareness.