The Consequentiality of Absences in Social Settings: A Sensemaking Perspective

Abstract

Empirical sociology’s focus on ‘things’ follows an Aristotelian legacy that prioritises discreteness and concrete singularities – that which are perceived to exist. In turn, such convention is predicated on an ontology of being and a natural focus on presence – the ubiquitous assumption that reality is ultimately atomistic and substantial. This metaphysical outlook has produced outstanding scholarly results. However, it also overlooks the significance of an alternative absence, a persistent but undetected ‘otherness’ that can affect social outcomes. The study shows how absences shape actionable imperatives in social settings and identifies requisite mechanisms through which social arrangements are enacted. Thus, it joins the burgeoning sociology of nothing, absence and loss and stresses the enactive consequentiality of what is missing through a sensemaking lens.