26. Does our knowledge depend on our interactions with
other knowers?
Theme: Knowledge and Politics
Center Number: 051914
Candidate Number: lhm006
Word Count: 943
Figure 1: Trump greeting fans at a rally on August 21st, 2015, at Mobile, Alabama before the 2016 elections. Object 1 was chosen from a rally that I had watched on YouTube due to my interests in understanding Trump's appeal to people. It is an image of Donald Trump at a 2015 rally in Mobile, Alabama. This rally was a chance for people to meet Trump before the 2016 election. Attendees were passionate and amidst like-minded people with the same political views as Trump.
This object illustrates an example of direct interaction, where knowledge is transferred and talked about face-to-face. In this instance, direct interactions with other knowers shape or change our knowledge. Within the theme of politics, a study found that US parents would pass along political ideology to their children; eight in ten US parents who lean towards the Republican Party (81%) had teens who also identified as Republican (Cooperman, 2024). This suggests the significance of direct interaction on nurture and how the people around you could influence your beliefs and values. Furthermore, in the Area of Knowledge (AoK) of Arts, direct interaction is essential for students' skill mastery. In Malcolm Gladwell’s famous book “Outliers”, he suggests that 10,000 hours of deliberate and guided practice is required for maximum effectiveness (Young, 2020). This shows how direct interaction plays a significant role in furthering knowledge.
Despite this, direct interaction may not affect public opinions of Trump’s rhetoric, as a study found that public opinion on anti-immigration rhetoric saw no change from 2012-2016 (Sagir and Mockabee, 2022) despite Trump’s vocalisations on the matter. Still, his emphasis on immigration issues did garner increased media coverage and was attractive to many Republican and Conservative voters who already held anti-immigration views; nearly 91% of Republicans and Leaning- Republicans believe border security to be a top issue (Oliphant and Cerda, 2024).
Therefore, direct interaction with other knowers realises and gives voice to already established views, and can lead to mastery, however, may not necessarily change our beliefs. Figure 2: Alex Jones replying to a tweet by FreyjaTM on April 14th 2024 Object 2 shows Alex Jones, an online social media personality responding positively towards a post made on X by Freyja. This post appeared on my recommended feed and supports Trump’s management of the Middle East. Personalities like Alex Jones use various platforms to preach political views and agendas. Viewers may agree or disagree with his beliefs, suggesting that it isn’t imperative for people to always agree with the content they consume.
The use of social media, shown in Figure 2, is an example of indirect interactions between knowers. In this context, knowledge is gained from sources posted by other knowers, some with similar stances. Indirect interaction in the context of social media can influence our beliefs. For instance, 20.75% of activity by extremist groups is dedicated to social media content creation (Nguyen and Othmeni, 2021). This demonstrates an understanding of the significance of social media. The potential to increase radicalisation and violence is perpetuated by social media algorithms which suggest users content based on their previous viewings and interactions, normalising previously polarising content (Nguyen and Othmeni, 2021). Repeated viewings can result in echo chambers; places where you find content that supports your beliefs (Pennock, 2023), leading to further affirmation of your own values through social reinforcement. This effect is shown in the AoKs of History and Human Sciences, where the opinions and reputations of famous historical figures have fluctuated due to attentional bias created by social media (Fynn-Paul, 2023) perpetuating the culture war between social groups (Lester 2024). For example, the over-scrutinization of Churchill’s past ideologies to further a specific agenda attempts to subvert his legacy (Lester, 2024).
Therefore, social media creates a dependence on others for information and the potential outreach and influence of any individual on social media is unlimited. Whilst platforms may try to control the content of posts, there are far too many to filter, and information spreads unchecked through social media. Object 2 demonstrates how knowledge does indeed depend on interactions with other knowers, aligning with object 1 where, although the interaction is direct, greater reliance on interaction for knowledge is demonstrated. Figure 3: Personal journal entry Object 3 shows a journal I have kept for two years where I reflect on my views on recent political events.
This represents no interaction with other knowers. Non-interaction is the idea that people obtain or alter knowledge based on self-reflection. The significance of non-interaction using personal journals has enhanced growth and learning, a phenomenon studied as early as 1965 by psychologists (Hiemstra, 2002). This suggests that journaling potentially allows for greater reflection and critical evaluation of knowledge and beliefs, not just on political issues but broader ideas too. Within the AoK of Human Sciences, self-reflection helps identify the biases of our knowledge and schemas (how we organise and interpret information) (Harpur 2023).
As the knower related to this object, I found journaling useful for critically evaluating my opinions on political issues. This is exemplified by my reflection on the overturning of Roe V Wade in 2022, which led to the removal of abortion in the US as a constitutional right, legislating individual states to determine their own abortion laws (Yeoh, 2022). I was personally in support of the overturning of Roe V Wade due to my Christian upbringing. I believed that abortion was an immoral act, however, upon reflection and further reading on the topic, I realised the importance of abortion for women because of its necessity in certain situations, like medical complications or socioeconomic backgrounds. Consequently, the internal reflection of my views on Roe V Wade has allowed for a broader and more balanced perspective of the issue.
Whilst no direct interaction with other knowers had occurred for my reflection and journal writing, I did further research on the topic, which is an example of indirect interactions. This shows that, despite the importance of reflection, direct and indirect interaction is still needed to influence our knowledge, as supported by objects 1 and 2. This suggests difficulties in altering our knowledge without external influences. Bibliography Cooperman, A. (2023) Most U.S. parents pass along their religion and politics to their children [online] Available from: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/05/10/most-us-parents-pass- along-their-religion-and-politics-to-their-children/ [accessed 24 May 2024] Fynn-Paul, J. (2023) The Dangers of Cognitive Bias in History [online]. Available from: https://historyreclaimed.co.uk/the-dangers-of-cognitive-bias-in-history/ [accessed 24 September 2024] Hiemstra. R. (2001). Uses and Benefits of Journal Writing. In: English, L. M. and Gillen, M. A., eds. Promoting journal writing in adult education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, pp. 19-26. Harpur, C.J. (2023) Psychological Schemas [online]. Available from: https://www.cbtsolutions.ie/post/psychological-schemas [accessed 24 September 2024] Lester, A. (2024) Winston Churchill in the Culture War: Defending an Icon [online]. Available from: https://blogs.sussex.ac.uk/snapshotsofempire/2024/02/28/winston-churchill-in-the-culture-war- defending-an-icon/ [accessed 24 September 2024] Nguyen, L. and Othmeni, O. (2021). The Rise Of Digital Extremism: How Social Media Eroded America’s Political Stability [online]. Available from: https://www.ivint.org/the-rise-of-digital- extremism-how-social-media-eroded-americas-political-stability/ [accessed 24 May 2024]. Oliphant, J.B. and Cerda. A. (2022) Republicans and Democrats have different top priorities for U.S. immigration policy [online] Available from https://www.pewresearch.org/short- reads/2022/09/08/republicans-and-democrats-have-different-top-priorities-for-u-s-immigration- policy/ [accessed 24th May 2024] Pennock,S. (2023) Echo chambers: how they’re created and how to avoid them [online] Available from: https://www.poynter.org/tfcn/2023/echo-chambers-how-theyre-created-and-how-to-avoid-them/ [accessed 25 May 2024] Sagir, M. and Mockabee, S. T. (2022) Public Attitudes Toward Immigration: Was There a Trump Effect? American Politics Journal [online], 51(3), 381-396. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1177/1532673X221139762 Yeoh, G. (2022) CNA Explains: Why is the overturning of the Roe v Wade abortion ruling in the US so significant? [online]. Available from: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/cna-explains- abortion-roe-v-wade-us-supreme-court-2773416 [accessed 27 May 2024] Young, R.J. (2020) Researcher Behind ‘10,000 –Hour Rule’ Says Good Teaching Matters, Not Just Practice [online]. Available from: https://www.edsurge.com/news/2020-05-05-researcher-behind-10- 000-hour-rule-says-good-teaching-matters-not-just-practice [accessed 24 September 2024]
