Week 1- January 6th

Question: How does Kumashiro define ‘commonsense?’ Why is it so important to pay attention to the ‘commonsense’?

Kumashiro defines ‘commonsense’ as the rules, norms, approaches, conventions, and traditions that are privileged by people based on their culture and geographic location. Commonsense is the collection societal expectations of social groups to act in a specific way which is rooted in their traditional actions. This idea has influence in regards to personal actions, as well as interactions between members of said society. He argues that commonsense privileges only certain groups in society which have historically had political influence. His commonsense is not neutral, but oppressive because the status quo privileges majority populations, creating a standard for normalcy thus insinuating a specific form of societal cohesion based on commonsense is preferable. These commonsense approaches are the easy and comfortable ways to live and act, and these ideas are promoted as the only effective way to interact within society because it is much more difficult to try to resist or question tradition and the status quo.

It is important to pay attention the commonsense because there are hidden as well as blatant inequalities caused by the status quo in society. In particular in education certain approaches are promoted as being effective to meet specific goals, though they do not necessarily invite critical thought into what should be done to create a more equitable society. The commonsense promotes a narrowed view of what it is to be normal, which is problematic as this conception of normal is based in certain perspectives, practices, values and groups of people with political power. Furthermore, commonsense is the easiest way to approach education, but in turn it suppresses and marginalizes different perspectives that have been historically disadvantaged. Effectively, the marginalization of people based on their social markers shapes the conceptions of our educational experiences within the curriculum and it is promoted as the way things are ‘supposed’ to be. In my opinion, there is a lot of room for improvement, and though it is difficult, the status quo needs to be challenged in a direct and authentic manner. Self-reflection and awareness of the sociopolitical context are two important pillars to this quest.