Sociological reasons for paranoia?

Question

I mean for people who always think people they know (friends, parents) are talking about them or judging them...and in some cases they are but that is not the point.

This is nothing to do with bipolar disorder or schizos. Or me for that matter.

Answer 1

If you're looking for any explanation on an individual level, then it's not a sociological explanation.  If you look to sociology, then your're looking for explanations on the level of a social group.

A kind of "paranoia" can occur among marginalized members of society who have experience with prejudice:  people of color, GLBT, parolees, etc., who have actually experienced negative reactions from society and often expect to encounter prejudice in daily interactions.