Karen A. Cerulo And Janet M. Ruane

PART I: In the essay, What’s in a Name? authors, Karen A. Cerulo & Janet M. Ruane assess the significance of a name in society. They begin by discussing how the influence and importance of names are vastly underestimated and under looked in the fields of social science and literature. Furthermore the authors state. “Indeed, names in our society function as powerful symbols - arbitrary signs that come to be endowed with special meanings and, ultimately, gain the ability to influence behaviors, attitudes, and emotions” (Cerulo & Ruane, 79). Additionally Cerulo and Ruane provide multiple examples to support their claim of the importance of names. For example, the authors discuss that names and identity are intermixed and intertwined with each

Additionally, names function as a form of impression management in society. Impression management, refers to verbal or nonverbal mannerisms we utilize in order manipulate our image in order to be accepted by society. For instance, most parents spend a great deal of time deciding a name for their offspring because that name will represent the baby’s and parents societal image (Cerulo & Ruane, 81). Furthermore, the authors state, “While actual laws on naming are enforced in some countries (see box 7.1), commonly there are strong norms that govern the practice of naming. Norms refers to social expectations that guide behavior in society” (Cerulo & Ruane, 82). Cerulo and Ruane continue to discuss the power of naming within the labeling theory. The labeling theory discusses that names or labels we apply to people, places, or circumstances influence our interactions with them and the realities of the situation. (Cerulo & Ruane, 88). For example, Barack, Hussein Obama might be labeled as a muslim or terrorist which affects how society views him. However, in reality President Obama is a proud Christian