The concept is most closely associated with which sociologist?

• A. Emile Durkheim
• B. Karl Marx
• C. Charles Cooley
• D. Max Weber

Answer: (C)

The concept being tested is how the self is formed through social interaction and the perceptions of others, captured by the looking-glass self. Charles Cooley argued that we develop our sense of self by imagining how we appear to others, imagining their judgments of us, and feeling pride or shame based on those perceived judgments. This emphasizes micro-level social feedback within close-knit groups and daily interactions.

Durkheim focuses on how society shapes individuals through external social facts and collective norms; Marx centers on economic structures, class power, and material conditions; Weber analyzes how rationalization, bureaucracy, and ideas influence social action. These approaches differ in focus from Cooley’s emphasis on the self arising through interpersonal reflection, which is why the concept aligns best with Cooley.