Charles Horton Cooley

Date of Birth: August 17, 1864

Zodiac Sign: Leo

Date of Death: May 8, 1929

Biography

Charles Horton Cooley was an influential American sociologist known for his contributions to social theory and the development of various sociological concepts. Born on August 17, 1864, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Cooley was the fourth of six children in a family deeply involved in academia. His father, Thomas M. Cooley, was a renowned jurist and professor at the University of Michigan Law School. Cooley attended the University of Michigan, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 1887. However, his interests soon shifted towards the social sciences, and he went on to complete a Ph.D. in sociology in 1894. Cooley’s academic career was firmly rooted at the University of Michigan, where he began teaching sociology and economics. He is best known for his concept of the “looking-glass self,” which describes how individuals form their self-concepts based on their perception of how others view them. Cooley’s work emphasized the importance of primary groups, such as the family and close friends, in the development of an individual’s social identity. His seminal works include “Human Nature and the Social Order” (1902), “Social Organization” (1909), and “Social Process” (1918). Cooley’s ideas have had a lasting impact on sociology, influencing both contemporary social theory and subsequent generations of sociologists. He passed away on May 8, 1929, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

5 Interesting Facts about Charles Horton Cooley

1. Charles Horton Cooley coined the term “looking-glass self,” a fundamental concept in sociology.

2. He spent his entire academic career at the University of Michigan, where he both studied and taught.

3. Cooley was a founding member of the American Sociological Society, which later became the American Sociological Association.

4. His father, Thomas M. Cooley, was a significant legal scholar and a Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court.

5. Cooley’s work emphasized the crucial role of primary groups in shaping an individual’s self-concept and social behavior.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Charles Horton Cooley

1. “Society is an interweaving and interworking of mental selves.”

2. “We live in the minds of others without knowing it.”

3. “To get away from one’s working environment is, in a sense, to get away from one’s self; and this is often the chief advantage of travel and change.”

4. “The imaginations which people have of one another are the solid facts of society.”

5. “The thing that moves us to pride or shame is not the mere mechanical reflection of ourselves, but an imputed sentiment, the imagined effect of this reflection upon another’s mind.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Charles Horton Cooley’s net worth is not documented as he lived in an era when such details were not typically recorded. His contributions were primarily academic and intellectual rather than financial.

Children

Charles Horton Cooley married Elsie Jones in 1890, and the couple had three children: a son, Robert Cooley, and two daughters, Elsie Cooley and Hazel Cooley.