SCHOOL OF EDUCATION COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA STUDIES

DEPARTMENT OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION

MODULE TITLE: SOCIOLOGY OF EDUCATION

MODULE CODE: TED-SED-221
SUBMITTED BY: GROUP 2b
MACDONALD NKHOMA EBS/21/SS/055
PATIENCE NAKWANJE EBS/21/SS/049
IVY CHIMANGENI EBS/21/SS/009
LEAH SHABA EBS/21/SS/067
ATUPELE DUWA EBS/21/SS/017
ISAAC KASISI EBS/21/SS/030
MADALITSO CHIMBULUMATA EBS/21/SS/010

SUBMITTED TO: MRS L. CHITSULO

ASSIGNMENT TITLE: MAJOR SCHOLARS IN THE FIELD OF SOCIOLOGY

DUE DATE: 20 JULY, 2023

 CHARLES HORTON COOLEY CONTRIBUTIONS TO SOCIOLOGY AND
APPLICATION IN EDUCATION

Charles Horton Cooley was born in 1864, Ann Arbor, Michigan. He was an American
sociologist and educator who employed a sociopyschological approach to better understand the
society or the way individuals behave the way they do (Argyle, 2023). He is considered as one of
the founders of the discipline of sociology and was also a founding member of the American
Sociological Association in 1905 and became its eighth president in 1918. As a child Cooley was
somewhat withdrawn, passive and felt intimidated by his father (Thomas Cooley). To his father’s
expectation he went on to study Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan, but his
interest remained in philosophy and economics. In his spare time Charles studied the works of
philosophers and theorists such as Herbert Spencer, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Charles Darwin.
Which increased his interest in sociology. He later on died in 1929. Therefore this essay will
discuss some of Cooley’s contributions in sociology, such as the “looking glass-self”, symbolic
interactionism and the study of primary and secondary groups and how they have been applied in
education.

Firstly, the “looking glass-self” concept. This theory describes how people get to know
themselves through the “looking glass self”. According to Cooley (1902), he argued that “as we
see our face, figure and dress in the glass, and are interested in them because they are ours, and
pleased or do not answer to what we should like them to be, so in imagination we perceive in
another’s mind some thought of our appearance manners, aims, deeds, character, friends and so
on and are variously affected by it”. Therefore, to develop one’s self-identity Cooley used three
principle elements: one is that we imagine how we look to others, then we interpret their reaction
or (how they evaluate us), lastly we develop our self-identity based on their evaluation. This
basically means that our self-image comes from our own self- reflection and from what others
think of us that is through these interactions one begins to develop an idea of who they are,
therefore the self-identity is the product of our social interactions (Jachowicz and Johnson,
2022). Cooley’s theory in education enables teachers to be aware that their views and feedback
might reflect student’s self-perception, for example if a student incorrectly answers a question in
a class they might later question their own intelligence or capacity to prepare sufficiently.
Therefore, teachers are edged to provide a constructive feedback that supports student’s positive
self-awareness or self-identity. Thereby, creating a conducive environment for learning.

Secondly, Symbolic interactionism. It is one of the major sociological theoretical perspective

based on micro-level observations, Cooley’s contribution to the symbolic interactionism theory
focuses on his idea that clarifies how individuals build their identities by giving meaning to the
symbols and gestures they encounter throughout interactions (Studysmarter, 2023). Under this
theory it is believed that people communicate with each other through language and symbols and
one make sense of society through examining these symbols hence, individuals actively shape
the society rather than being shaped by it. The shared meanings form the social values, norms
and rules of the society. Symbols used by social groups can also communicate certain beliefs
specific to that group, to the rest of the society, thus can both create a sense of unity and a sense
of diversity in the society (Nickerson, 2023). An example of a widely used symbol is a form of
no-verbal communication, such as a “salute”. A salute symbolises respect in many countries.
Also sociologists argues that symbols often determine personal relationships among people.
Family relationships and norms surrounding come from symbolism, and through symbolism
interactions they are able to know how they should behave in different scenarios (Studysmarter,
2023). For example, in the presence of a teacher or in the presence of one’s siblings (family), and
this helps one to understand what he or she is allowed to say to others, for example one’s boss,
uncle, teacher and many more. In education use of symbols, language and gestures in the
classroom helps teachers to better understand how students interpret and create meaning in the
education context, this encourages dialogue, active listening and open communication between
students and teachers allowing students to construct their understanding of the subject matter,
thereby achieving effective learning.

Lastly, The study of primary and secondary groups. The study of primary groups by Charles
Horton Cooley is one of the fundamental distinction of social groups. Social groups are divided
into primary and secondary groups. Cooley’s main focus was on primary group relationships,
which one is first introduced to and is the most influential on our learning of ideas, beliefs and
ideals (Jachowicz and Johnson, 2022). He defined primary groups as those groups which are
characterised by intimate face-to-face association and cooperation predominates (Cooley, 1909),
it is typically a small social group whose members share close, personal, enduring relationships
and they are marked by concern for one another, shared activities and culture, and long periods
of time spent together. Examples of primary groups are family and close friends or highly
influential social groups. These primary groups are the building blocks in forming the social
nature and ideals of the individual (Cooley, 1909), thus as small number of persons come into
direct contact with one another they meet “face to face” for mutual help, companion ship and
discussion of common questions. They live in the presence and thought of one another. In
practice, since, education institutions are considered as a mini-society, where diverse students
with different cultures, ethnic groups and background come together to acquire knowledge.
Understanding how these dynamic groups work and co-exist with each other enables educators
such as teachers to implore teaching strategies such as, Collaborative learning which encourages
students to work together in small groups or teams, fostering primary group-like interactions.
This approach promotes cooperative problem-solving, communication skills, and the ability to
work effectively in diverse groups.

In conclusion, this essay has looked at some of Charles Cooley Horton contributions to the field
of sociology. As discussed above, his theory of the “looking glass-self” which states that a
person’s self grows out of society’s interpersonal interactions and the perceptions of others, also
the theory of symbolic interactionism which views symbols, which we attach meanings to it as
the basis of social life. Lastly it is the concept of primary and secondary relationships which tries
to understand how small groups influence individual behaviours and society at large. Also the
essay has looked at how each of Cooley’s contribution to sociology have been applied in
education, for example informing educators to use collaborative learning and other teaching
techniques to achieve effective learning.
 REFERENCES

Cooley, C.H. (1902). Human nature and the social order. Charles Scribner’s Sons.

Cooley, C.H. (1909). Social organisation: A study of the larger mind. Charles Scribner’s Sons.

Argyle, M. (2023, June 30). Charles Horton Cooley.

Britannia. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-Horton-Cooley
Jachowicz, L. & Johnson, B. (2022, January 1). Charles Cooley looking glass self-theory.
Study.com. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-Horton-Cooley
Nickerson, C. (2023, May 1). Looking glass-self: Theory, Definition & Examples.
SimplyPsychology. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-Horton-
Cooley
American Sociological Association. (2023). Charles H. Cooley. Asanet.org.
https://www.asanet.org/charles-h-cooley/
Studysmarter (n.d). Charles Cooley: facts, Quotes & contributions.
https://www.studysmarter.co.uk/explanations/social-studies/famous-sociologists/
charles-cooley/