ECS 210 blog

How does Kumashiro define ‘commonsense?’

I’ve never written a blog post in my entire 49.10 years of living. I assume its an exercise in writing. Here are the highlights of what I’ve learned from the article: Kumashiro defines common sense origins in our adherence to tradition, professionalism, morality, and normalcy. What everyone ‘should know’. In brief, true common sense verses structure/obedience ~ status quo is a necessity in large societies. Common sense is assumptions, expectations, and values. It gives us a sense of comfort ~ especially in experiencing the repetition.

It has become normal for us to experience oppression without realizing that we are doing so, especially when oppression is masked by or couched in concepts that make us think that this is the way things are suppose to be.

‘Good teaching’ was something already learned in the years in public school system. What a sad, interesting, telling way to define such an important training. He pulls this altogether with a story regarding his first teaching gig, over in Nepal. He makes correlations to Western education – how its set up (times, seasons), the origin of material taught and who is at the origin. And how it marginalizes certain people, groups – all in the name of common sense.

Why is it so important to pay attention to the ‘commonsense’?

In the article, I found snippets pertaining to answers in my head – such as:

Common sense is often skewed. It is defined by the education we receive. Education derived via self-interests and via the status quo. Common sense tends to create environments where there is discrimination, harassment, physical and verbal violence etc. Oppressions are glaring, but ignored for comfort which in turn develops common sense. Common sense does not often tell us that the status quo is quite oppressive. The insistence that we “use our common sense” is really an insistence that we view things as some in society have traditionally viewed things and want to continue viewing things. Common sense perpetuates status quo values – continues to privilege only certain perspectives, practices, values, and groups of people. Oppression – often without realizing that they are doing so.

I liked this article as it defined common sense in a way I hadn’t thought of before. Everyone, in a sense, has a differne tdefinition of common sense – different experiences, religions, environments etc… all contribute to the ‘build’ of a person’s ‘common sense’