What is Contested Knowledges about?
Talking about Contested Knowledges identifies one of the
most important concepts that must be addressed if you are
operating in a multi- cultural or cross-cultural context. As
the sub-title suggests, this unit aims to look at and allow you
to gain some understanding of the way knowledges are contingent
(utterly and specifically dependent) upon our social and
cultural histories. Our knowledges are a construction pieced
together from the different and shared histories of experiences
we have had.
So, this unit is about knowledge or more correctly,
knowledges, because if you accept that knowledge is contingent
on culture and history, there has to be more than one
knowledge. Contested Knowledges is about the study of these
knowledges and how they interact with each other. That’s
what the 'contested' part is all about. It is contested because
you can’t separate the study of knowledge from the
politics and the relationships of power that are involved.
Knowledge and power
In a cultural context, it is impossible to separate
knowledge from notions of power and power relations. Many of
the relationships you see around you are based upon power
relations and differential access to knowledge (or at least
perceived access to knowledge and resources).
In a broader sense, relations between cultural groups are also
based upon power and access to knowledge (and what is perceived
to be correct, appropriate or significant knowledge) and in
many cases one group influences and has power over the
other.
Where to start?
The way the unit has been set up and the resources on the
web arranged, you can really start wherever you like. One of
the advantages of on-line learning is that you are in control
of what and how you approach the study. That is one of the
important principles behind Contested Knowledges - that you are
an important contributor to the learning that will hopefully
occur during the course of the unit and how that happens is up
to you. If you are confident with study and the use of the web,
then this book will be a reference guide for you and a resource
to fall back onto when you get stuck.
It’s all very well for us to say that though, if this
is the first time you have studied or the first time you have
studied on-line? If the whole thing is a bit daunting, then
there is a structure to the unit and this book will help you
work your way through it.
The Four Questions
The best place to make a start is the the four questions we
use to frame all the work in this unit:
- What is at Stake?
- What is the Status Quo
- What are the Alternatives?
- What happens when different knowledges speak to each
other?
Familiarise yourself with what these four questions are
trying to get at and use them as the foundation for how you
analyse the questions you explore as part of your studies
here.
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