Abstract
Despite wide recognition as a major figure in sociology, Charles Horton Cooley has been remembered chiefly for the coining of phrases and not for his understanding of social processes. The present research reviews the treatment of Cooley's theoretical orientation in introductory textbooks. Data consisting of citations in 70 textbooks are examined and coded for references to six themes. Findings include the following: (1) frequent references to Cooley as a founding father of American sociology and to his concepts of “primary group” and “looking glass self” (2) partial and fragmentary treatment of Cooley's underlying theoretical orientation; and (3) a distorted presentation of key concepts and neglect of some of the most insightful aspects of Cooley's social thought.
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