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What is common sense? How are common knowledge and sociology related to each other?. (UPSC CSE Mains 2025- Sociology, Paper 1)
Common Sense
Common sense refers to the basic, intuitive understanding of everyday situations that people rely on to make decisions and judgments. It’s not learned through formal education or scientific study, but rather through lived experience, cultural norms, and social conditioning. For example, the idea that you shouldn’t touch a hot stove or walk into traffic is considered common sense—because it’s widely accepted and seems “obvious” to most people.
However, what counts as common sense can vary dramatically across cultures and communities. In one society, it might be common sense to remove your shoes before entering a home; in another, that might seem unusual. This shows that common sense isn’t universal—it’s shaped by the social environment. It’s practical, but not always accurate, and it can sometimes reinforce stereotypes or outdated beliefs.
Common Knowledge and Sociology Relationship
Common knowledge refers to widely held beliefs or assumptions that people accept as true without questioning. These ideas often circulate through families, media, religion, and tradition. For instance, the belief that “hard work always leads to success” is a piece of common knowledge in many societies.
Sociology, however, is the discipline that critically examines such beliefs. It doesn’t take common knowledge at face value—it investigates where these ideas come from, how they’re maintained, and whether they hold up under scrutiny. Sociologists use research, data, and theory to uncover the deeper social structures that shape human behavior.
It’s often said that women are naturally nurturing and men are naturally assertive. These ideas are treated as “common sense,” rooted in biology. But sociology shows that gender roles are socially constructed, not biologically fixed. From childhood, boys and girls are taught different behaviors through toys, media, and family expectations. These cultural influences shape how individuals express themselves and what roles they pursue. For example, women may be steered toward caregiving professions not because of innate traits, but because of societal norms. Sociology reveals that gender is fluid and shaped by context—not destiny.
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Common sense |
Sociology |
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Common sense generally takes cues from what appears on surface |
Sociology looks for inter-connections and root causes which may not be apparent |
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Common sense uses conjectures and stereotypical beliefs |
Sociology uses reason and logic |
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Common sense is based upon assumptions |
Sociology is based upon evidences |
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Common sense is intuitive |
Sociological knowledge is objective |
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Common sense promotes status-quo |
Sociological knowledge is change oriented |
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Common sense based on personal judgements |
Sociology is based on data, methods |
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Common sense knowledge may be very personal and two persons may draw different conclusion of a same event based on their own common sense |
Sociological knowledge results into generalization and even theory building |
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Poverty People are poor because they are afraid of work, come from `problem families'' are unable to budget properly, suffer from low intelligence and shiftlessness. |
Poverty Contemporary poverty is caused by the structure of inequality in class society and is experienced by those who suffer from chronic irregularity of work and low wages. |
POSTED ON 21-09-2025 BY ADMIN
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