Sociology AND Commonsense Relationship PDF

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One of sociology's goals is to explain and elaborate on people's ideas about the social world. For example, most individuals believe that marrying after a certain age is normal, and questioning this belief may appear ludicrous to some. Now, sociology strives to explain why individuals think certain ...

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SOCIOLOGY AND COMMONSENSE RELATIONSHIP INTRODUCTION One of sociology's goals is to explain and elaborate on people's ideas about the social world. For example, most individuals believe that marrying after a certain age is normal, and questioning this belief may appear ludicrous to some. Now, sociology strives to explain why individuals think certain notions are common sense, what is the political history of a practise, such as the relationship between specific marital patterns among different communities and the status of women in those groups now, and so on. To turn Sociology into a useful subject, it takes a combination of scientific approach and what is commonly referred to as common sense understanding. The information acquired by persons who live in the middle of and are a part of social conditions and processes that sociologists aim to explain is referred to as common sense. The word "folk knowledge" could be used interchangeably. It could also be the expertise of engineers, legislators, news reporters, and other professionals. Common sense refers to a body of information acquired by a group of people who have spent years living, earning a living, and making plans for the future. The formation of Sociology is aided by both theoretical understanding and common-sense knowledge. People who rely solely on common sense understanding are men and women in business who operate at all levels of human behaviour that sociologist’s study. Sociologist’s blend what they've learned from common sense knowledge analysis with what science discloses. They strengthen so-called theoretical knowledge in the process, validating hypotheses if they are correct and revising them if they are erroneous. For example, it is widespread knowledge that education aids in the attainment of better jobs, although facts have shown otherwise. Many educated young people are unemployed. As a result, sociologists began to dispute this common-sense notion, and they developed a new theory that stated that different types of schooling or differential access to educational facilities resulted in difference work opportunities. Sociologists employed a scientific technique (in terms of how they collected data, for example) to create this theory, and they also took into account the common sense understanding of those who did not receive the job, such as what they experienced throughout their schooling, during the interview, and so on. We can see that both common

sense and science were applied in this case. It is impossible to develop a cohesive theory if either of the two aspects is missing. For a comprehensive comprehension of a situation, it is necessary to construct a correct theory. DISTINCTION BETWEEN COMMON SENSE AND SOCIOLOGY Sociology is not the same as common sense. The following are some of the differences: Common sense cannot replace the collection of concepts, methods, and data found in sociology. Sociological knowledge aspires to be broad, whereas common sense is specific and regional. Time, place, class, community, gender, and other factors influence common sense. Common sense is reflective as well, but it does not analyse its sources or assumptions. Common-sense does not challenge consciously and methodically, whereas Sociology's goal is to rigorously question what appears to be clear. COMMONSENSE AND EMILE DURKHEIM'S SOCIETY UNDERSTANDING Sociologists such as Emile Durkheim and Max Weber, as well as intellectuals such as Karl Marx and others, viewed human society as a whole,despite the fact that their major emphasis was their own civilization, as their topic of study in its various and changing forms They believed that using sociological methods would help them better comprehend their own society. They also felt that systematic comparisons between their society and other societies may enhance and widen their understanding. They were all confident that common sense would not be enough to advance sociology, and that they would need to develop new instruments of inquiry and analysis to achieve their goals. However, in order to analyse a phenomenon in depth, sociologists must overcome the illusion provided by common sense. Emile Durkheim claimed that systematic investigation of a subject could not take place unless the investigators were free of preoccupations with their subject of study. These preoccupations were fashioned by limited experience, were frequently incorrect,

and stood in the way of an analysis of the available and relevant facts. In his research on suicide, he used this argument. Durkheim provided a magnificent proof of the superiority of his approach over common sense through his study of suicide. Suicide research is concerned with a phenomenon that reflects the individual-collectively relationship. Durkheim intended to demonstrate how the collectively exerts control on individuals. Although common sense would have us believe that suicide is an individual act of self-destruction, Durkheim's research has revealed that this phenomena is managed by society. Even when an individual is alone and desperate to harm himself or herself, society is there in the unhappy person's consciousness. This act of suicide is governed by society rather than individual history. Durkheim investigated the difference between suicide incidence (the number of people who commit suicide) and suicide rate (the number of people who commit suicide) and discovered that the underlying causes of suicide are societal forces. These social factors differ from one society to the next, as well as from one religion to the next. Suicide rates were found to be higher in some societies than in others. As a result, he meticulously argued that society/social factors are to blame for all of an individual's behaviours (even suicide). The importance of Durkheim's suicide study lies in the fact that when he had a major idea (that society is to blame for suicides) that seemed to contradict common sense, he empirically verified it as a sociologist by collecting a large body of data and analysing it using appropriate concepts and methods. His method of analysis can be applied to a variety of other areas of life in different parts of the world.

COMMONSENSE AND MAX WEBER'S SOCIETY ANALYSIS Max Weber's research has also demonstrated a new approach to studying social phenomena that incorporates a commonsense understanding of a culture. Human action is guided by meanings, according to his social action theory. Action can only be understood from this perspective through recognising world view, or the image of the world held by members of society. As previously stated in the preceding section, the verstehen technique allows us to get beyond the restricted confines of our scientific perspective on human activity. In other words, scientifically, meanings/common sense understanding may be used to better comprehend human civilization. Religion is frequently regarded as a significant factor in shaping our worldview. Religious beliefs directed/directed

human action in specific places and eras. Weber investigates the relationship between the advent of certain strains of Protestantism and the development of Western industrial capitalism in his well-known work The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. To put it another way, people's perceptions of what is good and bad shape society. Earning and saving were considered acts that added to God's glory in the Calvinist faith. As a result, earning and saving became a natural part of life for that society. However, while people were acting in accordance with their religion's expectations, this ideology was also assisting capitalism's flourishing, given capitalism is founded on profit/savings. As a result, when Weber was trying to figure out why particular groups were more affluent, he looked into their beliefs, behaviour patterns, and the common sense that went along with it. Similarly, comprehensive sociological investigations have revealed several features of Indian society that are substantially different from our usual conceptions. During the post-independence period, a slew of village studies were conducted, the results of which have shifted our perspective on rural society. These field research have demonstrated that the empirical reality of our social institutions differs from what is described in'sacred texts.' INDIA'S COMMON SENSE AND SOCIOLOGY M.N. Srinivas drew attention to the widespread misunderstanding of caste among India's educated population. He chastised the idea of caste as a strict and unyielding structure. The four varnas are used to divide Hindu society into castes. He demonstrated that the caste system allowed for various levels of social mobility. Furthermore, he claimed that the influence of caste in Indian politics was expanding rather than waning, unlike the political pundits of the day (whose opinions were based on common sense understanding). Andre Beteille's research in the Tanjore district in the 1960s indicated that the town where he lived and worked was rife with inequity and violence. He discovered that the popular belief at the time that the Indian hamlet was a "small republic" was a myth. Similarly, A.M. Shah's work has debunked some myths concerning changes in the Indian family system. According to Shah's research, the number of joint family households was not significantly higher than the proportion of nuclear family households.

LET'S COMBINE THE RESULTS

An objective scientific investigation is required. The method used by a specific discipline determines its objectivity, yet there is no such thing as a "one-size-fits-all" scientific method. Various analytical techniques and theories created in the field of sociology aid in the detection of biases. Natural science is concerned with ‘matter' that lacks consciousness and hence may be monitored in a controlled environment without causing too much disruption. As a result, the researcher is able to preserve objectivity since he or she explains the phenomenon without attaching any values to it. Unlike natural sciences, the subject matter of social science, and especially sociology, is sentient persons who have a sense of what is going on around them. Sociologists must overcome the illusion caused by common sense in order to explore the common-sense components of society. Durkheim provided a magnificent proof of the superiority of his approach over common sense through his study of suicide. Weber's methodology has also demonstrated a novel approach to studying social phenomena that incorporates a common sense understanding of a culture....