English

You may have surmised, baby names are a surprisingly good place to look at how society shapes individual choices. Look at the Social Security Administration’s name website (http://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/ ) and do some research on your own name. How was your name choice influenced by broader social trends? Names are frequently understood as markers of the individual. Why do sociologists view individualism as a myth? What’s wrong with valuing individualism? What do names tell us about the importance of social groups and structures in shaping the individual? 2-3 pages