Knowledge Production

KINE 1000: Whose Knowledge Counts? 2025/26

General Information

• Transcript dated 2025/26.

• Restricted distribution: Do not distribute or upload to OpenAI without permission (Nakamura, 2026).

Agenda Overview

• Announcements

• New Unit: Whose Knowledge Counts?

  • Exploration of the following key questions:

  • How is knowledge produced?

  • What knowledge counts?

  • Who gets to produce knowledge?

  • What is studied/researched?

Educational Tools

Mind Map

• Students will have access to:

  • A list of key terms.

  • A pre-drawn mind map that will have empty bubbles for students to fill out.

  • Reference material available in eClass.

Review of Key Concepts

• Previous units included discussions on:

  • Critical Thinking

  • Sociological Imagination

  • Settler Colonialism

  • Race, Racialization, and Identities

  • Othered Bodies

How is Knowledge Produced?

• Qualitative Research Methods:

  • Focuses on understanding phenomena through the meanings attributed by people.

  • Methods include:

  • Observation

  • Interviews

  • Fieldwork

• Quantitative Research Methods:

  • Employs statistical or mathematical analyses of data.

  • Examples include:

  • Polls

  • Surveys

  • Questionnaires

• Mixed Methods:

  • Incorporates both qualitative and quantitative research approaches.

  • Generally involves a smaller sample size than purely quantitative studies.

What Knowledge Counts?

• Objectivity:

  • Defined as the distance between the researcher and the object of study.

  • Greater distance is perceived to enhance objectivity.

  • Assumption: The greater the distance, the more objective research outputs are presumed.

What Knowledge Doesn’t Count?

• Subjectivity:

  • Defined as the values, assumptions, feelings, and thoughts that researchers carry regarding their study subjects.

• Bias:

  • Refer to unintended errors in the research process or interpretation caused by researchers' preconceptions or expectations.

Objectivity as Ideal: Risks

• Assumptions:

  • The assumption that objectivity is entirely possible is critiqued.

  • The belief that a neutral position is achievable is questioned.

  • Research is conducted by humans, inherently influenced by:

  • Political contexts

  • Economic factors

  • Social dynamics

  • Cultural influences

  • Power relations

The Politics of Research: Who Gets to Produce Knowledge?

• Referencing the film "Picture a Scientist" to explore the dynamics around who has the authority to produce knowledge.

The Politics of Research: What is Worth Studying?

• Questions raised regarding the value of certain topics:

  • Example: Anatomy of male (penis) versus female (clitoris) reproductive systems.

  • Note by O’Connell (2020) highlighting the ongoing underrepresentation of female biology in scientific literature.

The Politics of Research: What is Studied?

• Definition of the object of study as a 'problem to be solved.'

  • Exploring themes related to Indigenous Peoples and people of color in research.

  • Critiques of a top-down approach to research, often resulting in Othering.

  • Research perspectives influenced by imperialist and colonialist viewpoints.

The Politics of Research: Imperialism and Colonialism

• Discussion on how research has been justified through imperialism and settler colonialism.

  • Historical support for scientific endeavors.

  • Discussion on objects of study in popular media (e.g., "Black Panther" (2018) museum scene).

  • Role of research funding in supporting imperialistic narratives, aiding in the establishment of museums and exhibits.

Example: Colonization of Tasmania, Science, and Truganini

• Historical Context:

  • Expedition of Captain James Cook in 1769 resulting in the British claim over Australia and New Zealand.

  • Effects on Aboriginal populations in Tasmania, leading to devastation.

  • Truganini (1812-1876) as the last known “full-blooded native Tasmanian” (Harari, 2011).

Canadian Context: Indigenous People

• Impact:

  • Indigenous communities have often been subjected to research, resulting in widespread distrust towards researchers, healthcare providers, and educational institutions.

Indigenous Research Methodologies & Community-Based Research

• Formation of Indigenous Research Ethics Boards.

• Example: York’s Guidelines for Research Involving Aboriginal/Indigenous Peoples.

• Emphasis on the principles of community-based research and strengths-based approaches.

Practice Questions

Multiple Choice and Essay Questions

1. MCQ Topic: Outcome of objectivity in knowledge production.

   • Limits research topics and questions.

   • Results in nuanced qualitative research outputs.

   • Reinforces researcher neutrality assumptions.

   • Aids in obtaining funding for research.

2. Essay Question: Define Othering and analyze how knowledge production may contribute to the process using sources including:

   • Batelaan (2022)

   • BBC Reel (2020)

   • Lecture materials from this unit and one additional unit.

References

• Cheney, I (Director/Producer), Shattuck, S. (Director/Producer), & Pottle, M. (Producer) (2020). Picture a Scientist. [Film]. Uprising Productions.

• Feiger, K. (Producer), & Coogler, R. (Director) (2018). Black Panther [Film]. US: Marvel Studio, Walt Disney.

• Gray, H. (1910). Anatomy, descriptive and applied. (18th ed., thoroughly rev. and re-edited with additions by Edward Anthony Spitzka). Lea & Febiger.

• Harari, Y.N. (2011). Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind. Vintage.

• O’Connell, H.E. (2020). Moving from critical clitoridectomy. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajo.13243

• Sound, D. (2013). Residential school students subjected to food experiments. Retrieved from http://aptnnews.ca/2013/07/18/residential-school-students-subjected-to-food-experiments/

• Restrictions reiterated: Do not distribute or upload to OpenAI without permission (Nakamura, 2026).