WK2

The Production of Knowledge: the Importance of Diversifying it

Case Study: Advance Australia Unfair

What is Epistemology?

It is the study of knowledge.
There are a variety of knowledge systems, and they have their own standpoints on how the world works.
For example, different subjects can br broken down into different categories. Like how maths can have knowledge on calculus, algebra, and more
How you see the world operates how you act with it.

Why is it important?

there is already a variety of people in this room, and there will be a variety of knowledge systems our future students will follow. we must be able to acknowledge and appreciate different epistemologies.
We are able to look at the same issue from different perspectives and expand our view.
This is important for us to understand sociology in education.
The media often suggests that all information is unified, but that is incorrect.
Some facets of information in the world has a history of being marginalised and silenced.
- have we realised in schools some subjects are offered while others are not? some are compulsory and some aren’t?
It is essential for having rigorous conversations with children to understand their standpoint. It’s kinda like background info to make assumptions for understanding.
To prevent us from being tunnel-vision
Multiplicity is essential to understanding perspectives. we work in an environment that relies on connection with human interaction.
A big part of our job is talking with guardians. along with their child they have different perspectives and epistemologies

What Socio-Historical issues impact the production of knowledge?

Examples:

The United Nations created a chart of Global Dynamics regarding ‘developed’ and ‘developing’ countries. Our different perspectives will result in different people having opinions on this chart. It forces us to question if the UN has the right to judge these countries. Every country has their own opinion on what is considered developed. It creates a hierarchy that is binarised in one perspective. This was also only created based on the economic state of the countries when in other opinions economics does not constitute how ‘wealthy’ a country is.

Extra Notes:

Examples of different Epistomologies in school:
- different values of school - some overachieve in school and some will do the bare minimum
Society VS individual (issues that are common for ALL and issues that affect PERSONALLY)
Sometimes socio-historical context can play into how people act in our classroom.
Heritage, upbringing, values and more can effect our epistemologies
De-centring from information from just one place. Other places may have further research in other countries.
Money and wealth is so closely tied to social status. The richer countries end up being considered ‘smarter’ and more knowledge is accepted from them. This causes a lack of nuance as the amounts knowledge being considered is restricted.
We restrict the knowledge that we don’t deem enough from OUR perspective.
There is an idea that the victor of the war gets to reshape their governing to suit them. this is done to keep them in power. Therefore, war ALSO gets to choose what is knowledge.
- a modern version of this is getting instated into government and being allowed to change the curriculum.
Oral history was historically ignored compared to written history.
- it privileged people who were literate compared to those who were not.
Literacy is also connected to our skill in knowing a language.

How does this affect our classroom?

certain subjects get restricted and not taught in our classroom.
Whoever is in power gets to set up our curriculum and what we learn.
Students themselves are not able to choose what they learn. The closest is you can choose electives, but the choices are still determined by someone else.
- you are given the illusion of choice
It helps us to examine issues more thoroughly instead of being constricted to just our own epistemology.