Theory of Knowledge - Course Companion for Students Marija Uzunova Dang Arvin Singh Uzunov Dang
users’ posting behaviour than algorithmicbyof content (Bakshy et al 2015). Of course,rankingseems a convenient conclusion for Facebookthatbut Kartik Hosanagar, professor atresearchers,we acquired our news media from a randomly selectedIfof Facebook users, nearly 45 percent of newsgroupby liberals and 40 percent seen by conservativesseenFacebook would be cross-cutting. But we acquireonnews stories fromour friends. As a result, thethesefound that only 24percent of news storiesresearchersby liberals’ friends were cross-cutting and aboutsharedpercent of stories shared by conservatives’ friends35cross-cutting. Clearly, the like-mindedness of ourwerefriends traps us in an echo chamber.Facebooknewsfeed algorithm further selects which of theThenews stories to show you. This is based on yourfriends’interaction with friends. Because we tend to engagepriorwith like-minded friends and ideologically similarmorethe newsfeed algorithm further reduces thewebsites,of cross-cutting news stories to 22 percentproportionliberals and 34 percent for conservatives. Facebook’sforworsens the echo chamber, but not by much.algorithmquestions about whether our onlineThenetworks produce echo chambers andsocialbubbles, and to what extent these havefilterpolitical effects, remain open. Thispolarizingof lack of consensus is one that showsproblemrepeatedly in this book. Different knowledgeupfrom the knower? Can they beindependent“neutral”?politicallyin 1999 about the production ofWritingunder colonialism, Linda Tuhiwaiknowledgeargues that the nature and validity ofSmithforms of knowledge became commoditiesspecificWharton School, believes that the study wastheand agrees that it is “the like-well-designedof our Facebook friends that traps usmindednessan echo chamber”, explaining as follows.inthe question is which of these news stories doFinally,click on. The researchers nd that the nal proportionwecross-cutting news stories we click on is 21 percentofliberals and 30 percent for conservatives … . Weforprefer news stories that are likely to reinforce ourclearlyviews rather than challenge them.existingwe believe a research study conducted byShouldresearchers that absolves the company’sFacebookand places the blame squarely on us? Ialgorithmsthe study is well-designed. That said, I disagreethinka key conclusion of the Facebook study. It is truewithour friendship circles are often not diverse enough,thatFacebook can easily recommend cross-cuttingbutfrom elsewhere in its network (e.g. “what elsearticlesFacebook users reading?”). That the news beingare[in] our feeds is from our friends is ultimately ashownwithin the academic disciplinescommunitiesdeveloped processes for reaching consensushavedealing with disagreement. But what aboutandpublic? theresearch institutions developed systemsWestern“organizing, classifying, and storing newforabout the world. Within the contextknowledge”colonialism, this practice of gathering andofknowledge can be viewed as part of astoringof “power and domination”.systemII. PerspectivesIII. Methods and toolsIII. Methods and toolsconstraint that Facebook enforces.(Hosanagar 2016)Are the tools and methods of knowingI I I . M E T H O D S A N D T O O LSof colonial exploitation. Smith explains how43
III. Methods and toolsLorde said you can’t dismantle the master’sAudrewith the master’s tools. I think about this powerfulhouseradicals, liberals, conservatives, and reactionaries,Byin the masters’ knowledge is seen aseducationinevitably to consciousness of oppression andleadingand so to the subversive desire for equalityexploitation,justice. Liberals support and reactionaries opposeandfree education, public schools, uncensoreduniversalmetaphor seems to say that education isLorde’sto social change. If nothing the masterirrelevantcan be useful to the slave, then education inusedmasters’ knowledge must be abandoned. Thus anthemust entirely reinvent society, achieve aunderclassknowledge, in order to achieve justice. If they don’t,newis plausible. Revolutions generally fail. But I see theirThisbeginning when the attempt to rebuild the housefailurework of thinkers such as Linda TuhiwaiTheand Ursula K. Le Guin draws our attentionSmithhow the tools and methods of producingtoalso have politics. These tools andknowledgeused to describe and explain the world,methods,be used to liberate and empower, or tocanand misrepresent. They are the productsoppressthe politics of their time. We explore this inofthe link to find out more about MariaFollow“Balkanism”.Todorova’sterms: WestsplainingSearchBalkansthe(a) Who has the power to legitimize1.and who does not?knowledge,(a) What are some global currents in the2.of knowledge production?politicseverybody can live in it becomes an attempt to grabsothe saws and hammers, barricade Ole Massa’s tool-alland keep the others out. Power not only corrupts, itroom,Work becomes destruction. Nothing is built.addicts.change with and without violence. ReinventionSocietiespossible. Building is possible. What tools have we toiswith except hammers, nails, saws—education,buildto think, learning skills?learningthere indeed tools that have not been invented,Arewe must invent in order to build the house wewhichour children to live in? Can we go on from whatwantknow now, or does what we know now keep us fromwewhat we need to know? To learn what people oflearningthe women, the poor, have to teach, to learn thecolour,we need, must we unlearn all the knowledgeknowledgethe whites, the men, the powerful? Along with theofand phallocracy, must we throw away sciencepriesthooddemocracy? Will we be left trying to build withoutandtools but our bare hands? The metaphor is rich andanyI can’t answer the questions it raises.dangerous.Said draws attention to this in his bookEdwardMaria Todorova, writing in theOrientalism.of Western imaginations of the Balkans,context“Balkanism”. When these views are givenoffersthey become internalized and holdlegitimacy,not just to describe the world, but to shapepowerBut can these same tools—concepts, theories,it.reclaimed as tools of liberation?explanations—beare the consequences of this forWhatknowledge about the Balkans?creatingWhat steps can we take to use knowledge3.further social justice and engagedtoPerhaps the most widespread act of4.is voting. What kinds ofcitizenshipare useful and necessary inknowledgethis political act?performingthe next section, we look at the issues ofIninvolved in deciding who to vote for.knowledge2The master’s toolsmetaphor, trying to understand it.discussion at the universities for exactly the same reason.the revolution will fail.(Le Guin 2004)depth in each chapter on the AOKs.For reflection(b)Considering knowledgecitizenship?Consider the following questions.(b)Where does this power come from?44
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users’ posting behaviour than algorithmic
by
of content (Bakshy et al 2015). Of course,
ranking
seems a convenient conclusion for Facebook
that
but Kartik Hosanagar, professor at
researchers,
we acquired our news media from a randomly selected
If
of Facebook users, nearly 45 percent of news
group
by liberals and 40 percent seen by conservatives
seen
Facebook would be cross-cutting. But we acquire
on
news stories fromour friends. As a result, the
these
found that only 24percent of news stories
researchers
by liberals’ friends were cross-cutting and about
shared
percent of stories shared by conservatives’ friends
35
cross-cutting. Clearly, the like-mindedness of our
were
friends traps us in an echo chamber.
newsfeed algorithm further selects which of the
The
news stories to show you. This is based on your
friends’
interaction with friends. Because we tend to engage
prior
with like-minded friends and ideologically similar
more
the newsfeed algorithm further reduces the
websites,
of cross-cutting news stories to 22 percent
proportion
liberals and 34 percent for conservatives. Facebook’s
for
worsens the echo chamber, but not by much.
algorithm
questions about whether our online
The
networks produce echo chambers and
social
bubbles, and to what extent these have
filter
political effects, remain open. This
polarizing
of lack of consensus is one that shows
problem
repeatedly in this book. Different knowledge
up
from the knower? Can they be
independent
“neutral”?
politically
in 1999 about the production of
Writing
under colonialism, Linda Tuhiwai
knowledge
argues that the nature and validity of
Smith
forms of knowledge became commodities
specific
Wharton School, believes that the study was
the
and agrees that it is “the like-
well-designed
of our Facebook friends that traps us
mindedness
an echo chamber”, explaining as follows.
in
the question is which of these news stories do
Finally,
click on. The researchers nd that the nal proportion
we
cross-cutting news stories we click on is 21 percent
of
liberals and 30 percent for conservatives … . We
for
prefer news stories that are likely to reinforce our
clearly
views rather than challenge them.
existing
we believe a research study conducted by
Should
researchers that absolves the company’s
and places the blame squarely on us? I
algorithms
the study is well-designed. That said, I disagree
think
a key conclusion of the Facebook study. It is true
with
our friendship circles are often not diverse enough,
that
Facebook can easily recommend cross-cutting
but
from elsewhere in its network (e.g. “what else
articles
Facebook users reading?”). That the news being
are
[in] our feeds is from our friends is ultimately a
shown
within the academic disciplines
communities
developed processes for reaching consensus
have
dealing with disagreement. But what about
and
public? the
research institutions developed systems
Western
“organizing, classifying, and storing new
for
about the world. Within the context
knowledge”
colonialism, this practice of gathering and
of
knowledge can be viewed as part of a
storing
of “power and domination”.
system
II. Perspectives
III. Methods and tools
III. Methods and tools
constraint that Facebook enforces.
(Hosanagar 2016)
Are the tools and methods of knowing
I I I . M E T H O D S A N D T O O LS
of colonial exploitation. Smith explains how
43