When we say that someone has common sense, that is not only supposed to mean that they use their eyes and ears, but that they keep them open, as it were, and use them meaningfully, intelligently, and in a way conducive to forming opinion and reflection, or at least attempt it, and that they are in a position to deal with everyday problems in an everyday manner with a degree of efficiency. (Geertz, 1983: 264)
STUDY: Vernacular science knowledge: its role in everyday life communication
Pragmatic criteria associated with social efficiency and local meaning govern how derivatives of scientific knowledge get embedded into everyday thinking and communication... more»
