Question 1(a) · 10 marks · 174 words written
Opening · a restatement
Whether common sense is a sociological nonsense or not is a question deeply debated since the advent of sociology.
Body · points and prose
[Positivists] like Durkheim saw sociology as [systematic], value-free social science while common sense as [particular], [localized], [contradictory], and [status quoist] knowledge. Durkheim's theory of suicide proved it was determined by conditions in society whereas [common sense] might treat it as individual phenomena.
[However], in 21st century, this view no longer holds valid due to developments in sociology.
common sense : the subject matter of sociology -> Weber argued that sociology study meanings and motives and thus common sense becomes important. ex) development of spirit of capitalism can't be done without studying common sense of Protestants. common sense : the social construction of reality | Phenomenologists argue that social reality is created due to [indexical & reflexive] nature in which common sense plays a role. Thus, it can't be rejected rather has to be analysed.
Close
Today, post-modernists reject privileging sociology over common sense, thereby refuting the notion that common sense is sociological nonsense.