IN DEFENSE OF THE COMMONSENSICAL APPROACH TO CONSENSUS.

SCHELLING, Thomas C., 1921-2016; SCHEFF, Thomas J.

The article analyzes, sociologist, Thomas J. Scheff's article "Toward a Sociological Model of Consensus," published in the February, 1967 issue of the journal "American Sociological Review." According to the author, Scheff's article has been a stimulating attempt to treat the problem of consensus from the perspective of symbolic interaction or what Scheff calls the "co-orientation" approach. Scheff rejects the definition of consensus as agreement and suggests instead that consensus is "an infinite series of reciprocating understandings," in which ego's perception or "understanding" of alter's agreement constitutes the first level of consensus. Following Thomas C. Schelling's formulation of the problem, Scheff suggested that the search for consensus arises from the necessity for coordinating social action and consensus itself is a product of communication. The first limitation of the "co-orientation" approach is explicitly mentioned by Scheff. This approach assumes that the actors' motivation to coordinate their actions is both high and intrinsic, i.e., uncontaminated by the threat of external sanctions. Scheff's definition of consensus in terms of majorities is also problematic. According to Scheff "There is monolithic consensus if the majority agrees and understands that there is agreement. Bare majority agreement and perception thereof surely falls short of "monolithic consensus," and can often lead to unstable situations of extreme conflict and dissension.