Social Organization

work by Cooley

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Last updated

July 13, 2026

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Charles Horton Cooley, an American sociologist, explored social organization through a sociopsychological lens. He believed social reality was distinct from physical reality and less quantifiable. Cooley's work, particularly Social Organization (1909), emphasized the importance of face-to-face interactions in primary groups like families and play groups. These intimate relationships, he argued, are the foundation for moral unity in society, fostering qualities such as loyalty and justice. Cooley also introduced the concept of the "looking-glass self," suggesting our sense of self develops from our experiences and how we imagine others perceive us.1

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Charles Horton Cooley
In Social Organization (1909, reprinted 1956), Cooley outlined the objective consequences of his psychological views. He argued that the ideal of the moral unity of society, involving qualities of loyalty, justice, and freedom, was derived from face-to-face relationships in primary groups such as the family and…
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In Social Organization (1909, reprinted 1956), Cooley outlined the objective consequences of his psychological views. He argued that the ideal of the moral unity of society, involving qualities of loyalty, justice, and freedom, was derived from face-to-face relationships in primary groups such as the family and…
Read More