Common-sense in simple words means natural understanding. The best way to explain this definition is examples. I consider to be common sense if I go on the trip I have a packing list of what to take and a checklist that includes tickets or you must remove the pudding from the box before you cook it etc. According to the `Cognitive` journal article `there are four types of explanatory factors of common sense, that we can identify. First, we may identify that out of which something is constituted (the “material cause”) as the ground for why A is B. For example, we can explain why a given chair is burnable by identifying what it is constituted of (e.g. The chair is burnable because it is made of wood). Second, we may identify what something is (the “formal cause”) as the ground for why A is B (e.g. You can sit on that because it is a chair). Third, we may identify the end or sake-for-which something has a property (the “final cause”) in order to explain why it has that property. For example, one can explain why a chair has the shape it does by citing the fact that it is for the sake of sitting. Finally, we can explain a thing’s existence or its coming to have a given property by identifying that which is responsible for producing the thing or property
change (the “efficient cause”). For example, we may identify the carpenter as being
responsible for a chair coming into being or some wood coming to have a certain shape.`( Sandeep Prasada, and Elaine M. Dillingham).
The similarities between sociological imagination and common sense are hardly comparable. However it has clearly differences. As we know the term of sociological imagination was discovered by the American sociologist C. Wright Mills in 1959. He described that the sociological imagination enables people to distinguish between personal troubles and public issues.’ By this perspective, people in poverty might link their personal circumstances to the social forces relevant to their present condition’ (The sociological imagination) .Common sense is based on what people in common would do naturally.
Racism involves rejection, nationalism, discrimination, colour of skin or membership of an ethnic group. The discrimination that comes with racism maintains power, material, economical, political and structural inequalities between the groups involved. There are a lot of examples of racism in world history (e.g. The slavery period in United States of America 1619-1860 or the holocaust during the second world war). These historical facts reveals the primary roots of racism. Racism in UK conspicuous in job market. BBS news made research:‘ CVs from six fictitious candidates - who were given traditionally white, black African or Muslim names - were sent to 50 firms by Radio Five Live. White "candidates" were far more likely to be given an interview than similarly qualified black or Asian "names". TUC boss Brendan Barber called for new laws in the face of "shocking" results. The employers targeted by the undercover survey were selected at random from newspaper adverts and recruitment websites. Many of the firms were well known and the jobs covered a range of fields, Radio Five Live said. All the applicants were given the same standard of qualifications and experience, but their CVs were presented differently.
Almost a quarter of applications by two candidates given traditionally "white" names - Jenny Hughes and John Andrews - resulted in interview offers. But only 9% of the "Muslim" applications, by the fictitious Fatima Khan and Nasser Hanif, prompted a similar response.’ (Brendan Barber) This research showed that racism in UK still exists.
Sociological imagination is very important in racism definition. For example Stephen Lawrence story. ‘ Mr Lawrence was stabbed to death in Eltham, south-east London, in a racist attack by a gang of white youths, No-one has ever been convicted of the murder’ (story from BBC news). The point is this that Metropolitan police which were investigating this crime were rasists. ‘In the years that followed, our family had to fight all of the levels of the justice system, which has repeatedly denied us justice for his death.’ said Stephen Lawrence mother (story from BBC news). This story properly show us how sociological imagination can affect our society. When personal troubles affects all the society and becomes public issues.’ Another very important problem in UK is that more black people are jailed in England and Wales proportionally than in US. The number of black people jailed in England and Wales is seven times larger than the amount they make up of the population. Experts and politicians said over-representation of black men was a result of decades of racial prejudice in the criminal justice system and an overly punitive approach to penal affairs’ (Randeep Ramesh). That means that UK have to conquer racial majority problem, it proves existence of public issues.
Common sense in term of racism shows prejudice of particular affairs. For example many people thinks that all Islamist are terrorists.‘ In common discourse and throughout the media, we use such terms as “Islamic terrorists,” as if terrorism had anything to do with the religion of Islam when in fact it is antithetical to it in many ways. We commonly use the term “jihadist” to label violent extremists indirectly supporting their twisted misinterpretation of the term – “jihad” is used in the Koran to describe “the struggle” within the individual’s life for submission to the will of God. By using such language are we really suggesting that 1.2 billion Muslims are terrorists by nature of their religion? Was the Oklahoma City bomber, Timothy McVeigh, described in the press as a “Christian terrorist” because he was a baptized Christian? Did the media posit him as a model for Christian life in America? Of course not! Yet it would seem we allow a violent fraction to define the world’s second-largest religion‘ (Mark S. Bollwinkel).‘ This quotation shows common sense definition in racism. The most important problem in common sense is prejudice. ‚he significant differences in success for black and ethnic minority groups: "Two in three British Bangladeshi children grow up in poverty in the UK (compared with two in 10 of their white counterparts)‘ (Aditya Chakrabortty). That shows that if people wouldn‘t have prejudice all people will be equal.
Out of the many factors that has led to racism thriving in today’s society I have discussed a few and compared how sociological imagination and common sense affect it. So it can be concluded that racism among humans in UK still exist but it can be tamed if we involve sociological imagination and common sense solving this problem. We have to think sociologically in order to know more about society where we live in. Common sense shows how people are intelligent in society for example if a person thinks that all Indians are terrorist than he doesn’t have enough knowledge about it. In my opinion it is very important to know what is sociological imagination and common sense and when we have to use it in our society.
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Reference
The sociological imagination. Available at: [Accessed: 06 10 2010]
C. Wright Mills.1959.The sociological imagination. .
Sandeep Prasada, and Elaine M. Dillingham. Principled and statistical connections in common sense conception. Volume 99. Available at: [Accessed: 06 10 2010]
Brendan Barber. 12 July, 2004. 'Shocking' racism in jobs market. Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3885213.stm [Accessed: 07 10 2010]
Story from BBC news. 2009/02/24. Racism 'still haunting society'. Avaible at: [Accessed: 07 10 2010]
Randeep Ramesh. 11 October 2010. More black people jailed in England and Wales proportionally than in US. Avaible at: [Accesed: 13 10 2010]
Mark S. Bollwinkel. 06 May 2009. Don’t allow violent faction to define Muslim faith. Available at: [Accessed: 13 10 2010]
Aditya Chakrabortty. 28 September 2010. When it comes to race, the move-on brigade can't dismiss the problems. Available at: [Accessed: 14 10 2010]
