<p>One beautiful quote from charles Horton coolie on how we see ourselves according to his <strong>looking glass self  theory,</strong></p><p><strong>"I am not who I think I am,I am not who you think I am ,I am who I think you think I  am."</strong></p><p>He said we learn about who we are through the interaction with others .</p>

Looking Glass Self Theory

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					<span dir="ltr">Instructor: </span>
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						<em dir="ltr">Bethany Johnson</em>
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					Charles Horton Cooley's theory of interactionist perspective describes that people get to know themselves through the looking glass self. Discover Cooley's career and how it affected his study of social behaviors, specifically those affected by the view of self and primary groups.
					
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							Updated: 08/23/2021
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				</div><h2>Why Cooley Studied Groups and Social Behavior</h2><p dir="ltr">Charles Horton Cooley was a sociologist who wanted to better understand why human beings behave the way they do. One of Cooley's most important contributions to sociology was his idea that by studying everyday <span dir="ltr"><a href="https://study.com/academy/lesson/social-interactions-definition-types-quiz.html" dir="ltr">social interactions</a></span> between people, one could begin to better understand why people behave as they do. This is the basis of the interactionist perspective of sociology. Cooley stated that to understand behavior, we must first understand the meanings humans attach to certain situations and, thus, the behavior that is taught to go along with that situation. He believed that societies shape the lives of the people who live within them. </p><caption align="bottom">
   Cooley focused much of his work on primary groups. 
 </caption><img src="https://study.com/cimages/multimages/16/charles-horton-cooley.jpg" alt="Charles Horton Cooley" width="239" height="135"><p>Cooley's major contribution to sociology was the study of primary groups. Cooley coined the term 'primary group,' meaning that this is the first group one is introduced to and is the most influential on our learning of ideas, beliefs and ideals. When observing society, Cooley noticed that the more a society became industrialized, the more individualistic the members became. He saw that the people became more distant from each other, more competitive and were losing the connection to traditional family values and that of community. It was through his study of primary groups that Cooley hoped to instill more social unity and cohesiveness. </p><p>While society has continued to evolve and change even at a more rapid pace, many of the social problems Cooley was concerned with still exist today. However, with Cooley's research, we better understand the importance of social unity and society's influence upon individuals. </p><img src="https://study.com/cimages/videopreview/videopreview-full/charles-horton-cooley-theory-microsociology_109708.jpg" width="488" height="275"><h2>Cooley's Career</h2><p>Born in 1864 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, as a son of a Michigan Supreme Court Judge, Charles Horton Cooley grew up in a household where education was highly valued and with high expectations placed upon him by his ambitious father. </p><p>In 1894, Cooley earned his PhD from the University of Michigan. In 1905, he founded the American Sociological Association and in 1907 became a full professor of sociology at the University of Michigan. He remained teaching at the university for his entire career. </p><h2>Primary Groups</h2><p>Like many sociologists, Cooley wanted to understand society better. As mentioned earlier, Cooley found that the more advanced a society became, the more individualistic people became. He witnessed the breakdown of social cohesion and traditional family. He was convinced that it was the small, intimate groups which influenced behavior the most, and with a breakdown of these primary groups, we also had a breakdown of human behavior. </p><caption align="bottom">
   Families are examples of primary groups. 
 </caption><img src="https://study.com/cimages/multimages/16/family-primary-group.jpg" alt="Family Primary Group" width="239" height="135"><p dir="ltr">Cooley coined the term <b dir="ltr"><span dir="ltr"><a href="https://study.com/academy/lesson/primary-groups-in-society-examples-lesson-quiz.html" dir="ltr">primary groups</a></span></b>, which is defined as groups characterized by intimate, face-to-face association and cooperation. Primary groups come together for expressive reasons - to provide emotional support, love, companionship and security. It is through these groups that one begins to develop the sense of self. </p><h2 dir="ltr">The <span dir="ltr"><a href="https://study.com/academy/lesson/looking-glass-self-theory-definition-examples.html" dir="ltr">Looking Glass Self</a></span></h2><p dir="ltr">Cooley is one of the founders of the <b dir="ltr">interactionist perspective</b>, which seeks to explain society by looking at the everyday forms of interaction between individuals. Cooley's theory of self is one in which we learn who we are through our interactions with others. This is known as <b dir="ltr">the looking glass self</b>. This basically means that our self-image comes from our own self-reflection and from what others think of us. Cooley believed that it is through these interactions that one begins to develop an idea of who they are; therefore, the self is a product of our social interactions. </p><p>There are three phases to the development of self, according to the looking glass self theory: </p><OL><LI>We imagine how we present ourselves to others. </LI><LI>We imagine how others evaluate us. </LI><LI>We develop some sort of feeling about ourselves based upon our perception of what we think others have of us. </LI></OL><p dir="ltr">
			
			
				
				
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I heard the quote I had mentioned in some random video of jay shetty over Internet.This is a good idea to think about guys.

Charles Horton Cooley's theory of interactionist perspective describes that people get to know themselves through the looking glass self. Discover...

Understand yourself and those around you.

psychology

Psychology

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

problemsolving

Problem Solving

communication

Communication

loveandrelationships

Love & Relationships

Why Cooley Studied Groups and Social Behavior

<p>Charles Horton Cooley was a sociologist who wanted to better understand why human beings behave the way they do. One of Cooley's most important contributions to sociology was his idea that by studying everyday <span><a href="https://study.com/academy/lesson/social-interactions-definition-types-quiz.html">social interactions </a> </span>between people, one could begin to better understand why people behave as they do. This is the basis of the interactionist perspective of sociology. Cooley stated that to understand behavior, we must first understand the meanings humans attach to certain situations and, thus, the behavior that is taught to go along with that situation. He believed that societies shape the lives of the people who live within them. </p>

<p>Cooley's major contribution to sociology was the study of primary groups. Cooley coined the term 'primary group,' meaning that this is the first group one is introduced to and is the most influential on our learning of ideas, beliefs and ideals. When observing society, Cooley noticed that the more a society became industrialized, the more individualistic the members became. He saw that the people became more distant from each other, more competitive and were losing the connection to traditional family values and that of community. It was through his study of primary groups that Cooley hoped to instill more social unity and cohesiveness. </p>

<p>While society has continued to evolve and change even at a more rapid pace, many of the social problems Cooley was concerned with still exist today. However, with Cooley's research, we better understand the importance of social unity and society's influence upon individuals. </p>

<p>Born in 1864 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, as a son of a Michigan Supreme Court Judge, Charles Horton Cooley grew up in a household where education was highly valued and with high expectations placed upon him by his ambitious father. </p>

<p>In 1894, Cooley earned his PhD from the University of Michigan. In 1905, he founded the American Sociological Association and in 1907 became a full professor of sociology at the University of Michigan. He remained teaching at the university for his entire career. </p>

<p>Like many sociologists, Cooley wanted to understand society better. As mentioned earlier, Cooley found that the more advanced a society became, the more individualistic people became. He witnessed the breakdown of social cohesion and traditional family. He was convinced that it was the small, intimate groups which influenced behavior the most, and with a breakdown of these primary groups, we also had a breakdown of human behavior. </p>

<p>Cooley coined the term <b><span><a href="https://study.com/academy/lesson/primary-groups-in-society-examples-lesson-quiz.html">primary groups </a> </span> </b>, which is defined as groups characterized by intimate, face-to-face association and cooperation. Primary groups come together for expressive reasons - to provide emotional support, love, companionship and security. It is through these groups that one begins to develop the sense of self. </p>

<p>Cooley is one of the founders of the <b>interactionist perspective </b>, which seeks to explain society by looking at the everyday forms of interaction between individuals. Cooley's theory of self is one in which we learn who we are through our interactions with others. This is known as <b>the looking glass self </b>. This basically means that our self-image comes from our own self-reflection and from what others think of us. Cooley believed that it is through these interactions that one begins to develop an idea of who they are; therefore, the self is a product of our social interactions. </p>

<p>There are three phases to the development of self, according to the looking glass self theory: </p>

<ol><li>We imagine how we present ourselves to others. </li><li>We imagine how others evaluate us. </li><li>We develop some sort of feeling about ourselves based upon our perception of what we think others have of us. </li> </ol>

<p>To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. <a href="https://study.com/academy/lesson/charles-horton-cooley-theory-microsociology.html#partialRegFormModal">Create your account </a> </p>

Charles Horton Cooley: Looking Glass Self and the Effect of Primary Groups - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com

Looking Glass Self Theory

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