Smrutiranjan Mohanty: Sociology I answer copy

Sociology & its relation with Common sense :-

Commonsense is a body of knowledge which is conceived as true. Early Sociologists like Auguste Comte & Durkheim who advocated for scientific status to Sociology were strong opponent of commonsense knowledge as they maintained that Sociology like science should go for positivistic approach & value neutrality should be practiced in sociological research. Sociology, which is study of behaviour of human society, should focus on objective understanding of objective reality. They advocate researcher should not let his value or commonsense to mix with his research & fact should speak about themselves.

• Subsequently, interpretative tradition grew in Sociological research like Weber, Dilthey & Georg Simmel who advocated sociology can go for value-neutrality in its own way by respecting to history & culture of society. Researcher should come closer to research where facts should not speak for themselves rather, understanding or interpretation of reality which is the second layer of truth must be greatly practiced.

• The use of commonsense knowledge has come to central stage in the course of time in the evolution of sociology as a discipline. Interactionists like Mead &

Cooley have advocated that actor model his behaviour according to expectation of others in interaction situation by using preconceived idea of common sense knowledge.

• Common sense is heart & soul of sociology, as propounded by phenomenologists like Alfred Schutz & Peter Berger. Alfred Schutz who actually lays a lot of stress on commonsense knowledge advocates it's a body of preconceived notion which helps people to identify social realities as phenomena. Through common sense, people have an idea of whole reality before they interact with others & make sense of expectation of others. Commonsense knowledge make us believe that social world is orderly, but it's actually jumble of individual experience & behaviour.