Thematic Directions

Knowledge as Power

Today we all live in a world where knowledge has a central place. Knowledge is thought to be the driving force of our times, and is the most important element of solving many of the world’s problems, such as poverty and the climate crisis. Many of the more developed and modern countries in the world are referred to as “knowledge societies”, where the production of knowledge is the defining characteristic of the economy (Treptov, n.d.). This puts knowledge at the center of attention, and thereby grants knowledge and the holders of knowledge a certain amount of power.

The famous phrase “knowledge is power” is attributed to Sir Francis Bacon (García, 2001). The ability to obtain and store knowledge is what separates us from animals, but knowledge for the sake of knowledge does not necessarily create power. Knowledge becomes powerful when it is turned into action. This raises important questions about the relationship between knowledge and power. The one we will be focusing on in this report is how knowledge can be used and misused to obtain or keep power.

Knowledge can be defined as understanding or being aware of something through experience (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, n.d.). It relates to having information or being learned. Power, on the other hand, is typically described as the ability A has to make B do something B otherwise would not do (Dahl, 1957, p. 202-203). Power involves some sort of coercion, even though this coercion can be so subtle that we cannot notice it. By putting these two concepts together, we see that knowledge about the world can create conditions where the ones with knowledge have potential to coerce the ones without power, and this coercive power is not always used for good.

As long as our societies are built around knowledge, knowledge can be both an asset and a threat. Having some knowledge about the world is necessary to survive in the competitive conditions we see in many countries today. Knowledge can raise the quality of life, and even save lives in many cases, through empowering and enabling individuals. But knowledge can also be misused by people in power, to suppress individuals, groups, or even entire populations. By using knowledge as a weapon, a means of propaganda, or even just by keeping knowledge from people, power holders can keep their position in society.

Knowledge as power as a thematic direction covers every aspect of “Creating Knowledge”. In this report you will encounter the power perspective more or less directly in every case presented. Knowledge and power are addressed through the enabling perspective in the cases about students (case 1), social media activism (case 2),

and refugee children (case 3). These cases show how having knowledge can encourage people to make better decisions and improve both their own and other people’s lives. In the case concerning Poland and Hungary (case 4), we see an example of how knowledge can be used as a weapon by people in power. We encourage you to keep these perspectives in mind throughout the report.

Technology

The modern world is immersed in technology. Think about a normal day in your own life. How many times do you use technology or even encounter technological solutions? No matter where you live in the world, chances are that technology is a huge part of your life, no matter how simple or advanced the technological solutions are. The word technology originally derives from the two greek words “techne” and “logia”, and refers to a systematic way of exercising knowledge about the world, often to improve human conditions (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, n.d.). The word as we know it was first used in 1829, to describe the practical application of knowledge within a particular area.

In the modern world, technology has a natural and important role in day to day life. Throughout the ages, human beings have always tried to improve their conditions to make life easier, resulting in increasingly fast technological developments. With the outbreak of the 2020 Corona crisis, the world has truly come to see how important technology can be. The development of vaccines against the coronavirus, using theoretical knowledge applied for a practical purpose, serves as an excellent example as to how technology can both save and change lives. This example also highlights how knowledge about technology and the use of technology creates both opportunities and disadvantages. As everything else in life, technology is not neutral.

This research report focuses on digital technology and how this relates to the creation of knowledge. Digital technology can be defined as “the branch of scientific or engineering knowledge that deals with the creation and practice use of digital or computerized devices, methods or systems” (Dictionary.com, n.d.). With a basis in this definition, it becomes clear that knowledge is both important in the creation of technological systems and when using these systems. This raises important questions as to who has the power to create digital technology, what is the technology used for, who has access to it, and maybe most importantly for ordinary people: How do these technologies affect me?

ISFiT21 addresses many of these questions, but in this report we focus on a particular issue, namely how social media technologies downgrade individuals and make us slaves to technology. The case “Towards a More Ethical Development of Digital Platforms” (case 3) shines the spotlight on how social media platforms are being designed, not for the users’ benefit, but for the profit of tech companies. This case addresses how technologists can work to create more humane technologies, thereby showing how technology now is being used to exploit and suppress individuals. By focusing on these issues, this case contributes to “Creating Knowledge” in two separate ways: Firstly, it brings information about technology to people, thereby allowing them to make informed decisions about their digital lives. Secondly, it shows how technologists can change technology, and illuminates the power that technologists have: both today and in the future.

This raises important questions as to who has the power to create digital technology, what is the technology used for, who has access to it, and maybe most importantly for ordinary people: How do these technologies affect me?

Media

Have you ever wondered how you know the things you know about current affairs in the world today? Living in a western country with a free and independent press, questioning the information put forward by the media has just recently become an important part of daily life. Before the rise of social media, print press and television were seen as credible news sources, worthy of being trusted. With the rise of social media, on the other hand, the media’s role in the creating and spreading of knowledge has been increasingly questioned, and is now an important theme both in scholarly debates and among the public. In Norway, the educational authorities have even introduced the new term “digital citizenship”, where students are meant to learn about and reflect upon how the information they find online affects them, and how trustworthy this information is.

Having knowledge about how knowledge is created and distributed is increasingly important due to the more complex media systems we see in the world today. With the rise of social media, we are no longer just consumers of information, but also creators of information. Everyone can post online and there are virtually no rules as to how truthful the things we post need to be. Much is left up to the consumer. So do you know when to tell facts from fiction? Which information sources do you trust? What biases are put forward in the information posted? All these questions touch upon the main question: How does media contribute to creating knowledge?

In many countries, a free and independent press is important for spreading information. Other countries have more restrictions on their media outlets both when it comes to what information is allowed and how information is framed. Media outlets have immense power in deciding how they describe the world, and in what terms. Have you noticed that some stories are “always” framed negatively? There is a power in language, and the media knows how to use it. With the rise of social media, this power has fallen into the hands of everybody, with no editors required. We all have the power of framing and providing knowledge about the world – for better and for worse. In this research report you will find a case study about how political leaders of Poland and Hungary frame information in order to influence their populations’ views about the LGBT+ movements (case 4). Through examining official statements from media outlets, this case brings forward important nuances as to how media can be used to control information and knowledge. You will also find a case about social media and how technologists are spreading information through these digital channels to empower people (case 2). These are just two examples of how media and social media are important for creating knowledge, and provide an important basis for further understanding and reflection about this interesting theme.

Culture and Activism

Culture and activism are both important forms of expression in a modern society, as both are often affected by current or previous politics and are used to create and spread a message. All creative culture is heavily influenced by its creators’ pre-existing knowledge. In addition to creative culture, we can also view historical culture as a way of creating and spreading knowledge of older generations. Creative culture, such as music, writing and art, has throughout history been linked to having political motives or been used as a form of activism.

Activism itself is more often than not based in the idea of supporting or opposing a side of a controversial issue, such as racial issues or problems with ruling government systems. Activism thus works as a means of creating and spreading knowledge that reaches the people. A lot of modern-day activism is digital and can be found and directly interacted with on different social media platforms, such as the Amnesty and Black Lives Matter-profiles on Instagram, or the #MeToo-movement on Twitter and various other platforms.

All creative culture is heavily influenced by its creators’ preexisting knowledge.

It is interesting to see how culture and activism are affected by both pre-existing and consecutively acquired knowledge, and how the knowledge we take in is altered by the culture and/or activism we interact with. An example of this is how we may interpret the history of, for example, India based on what information we already know, what sources we use, and what kind of pre-existing prejudice we have.

In terms of how the thematic direction of culture and activism works within the overarching theme of “Creating Knowledge”, its main focus is on how culture and activism can be used as a force of change within society. We are interested in how culture and activism create and spread knowledge. This theme is further discussed in Case 1, “Student`s Views on the Status of Academic Freedom”, where students from all over the world have answered a survey in regards to their own academic freedom and freedom of speech within academia, which is highly relevant to Culture and Activism. Case 2, “Towards a More Ethical Development of Digital Platforms” also relates to Culture and Activism through the activism of technologists in spreading awareness and trying to create a more ethical environment on digital platforms. Case 4, “Political Leaders in Poland and Hungary`s Framing of Knowledge” addresses differences in culture and progressivity in Poland and Hungary in contrast to other developed countries, as well as acknowledging the struggles of sexual minorities in these countries.

Norms and Values

Merriam-Webster (n.d.) defines norms as “a set standard of development or achievement usually derived from the average or median achievement of a large group”, while value (as a verb) is defined as “to consider or rate highly”. Our norms and values are the driving forces behind nearly all decisions we make throughout our lives. They affect how we think and act, allowing us to make decisions we deem ‘good’ or ‘bad’.

While norms are more often than not unwritten, values such as religious values may be written in holy texts, such as the Ten Commandments that can be found in both the Old Testament and the Tanakh (Berlin & Brettler, 2004; New Living Translation, 1996/2015). Values such as these impact how religious followers live their lives and make their decisions, and are often so ingrained into the culture and norms of their respective societies that even non-religious people may subconsciously have internalized the same values.

Norms, being mainly unwritten rules of society, naturally impact our daily lives. Migrants from countries where it is viewed as rude to shake hands, for example, may find it odd and face challenges when migrating to countries where it is viewed as rude to not shake hands. Norms differ from country to country, from society to society. Both norms and values are always changing to fit a world society that is constantly altering itself.

By connecting norms and values to “Creating Knowledge”, we wish to spark conversation and awareness about the correlation between our norms and values and the knowledge we create, spread, and believe. An example of norms and values impacting knowledge can be seen especially in Case 4, “Political Leaders in Poland and Hungary’s Framing of Knowledge’’, as conservative, family-oriented values direct affect the rhetoric used by Hungarian and Polish politicians when referencing or addressing LGBTQ+ communities, which in turn conditions the knowledge spread about the LGBTQ+ community in these countries to be mainly negative.

Academia and Educational Systems

Universities, colleges and other institutions of higher education have always been important places for developing and bettering democracy, often serving as open discussion forums where different opinions meet. In addition to this, we see the importance of higher education when it comes to educating health workers, scientists and so on - professions that have played vital roles in, for example, developing vaccines for COVID-19.

Using the COVID-19 vaccines as an example, for the past few months, we have observed how important it is that the information released to the public is tested, corrected, and discussed properly upon release, as limited knowledge about certain topics may cause unease and distrust.

As students, we have an especially large responsibility in maintaining these discussions, and are also responsible for being critical towards information and knowledge presented to us - who decides what, when, and how we receive certain information? How can students create knowledge that is helpful and important, and how can we contribute to making knowledge accessible to the public? These are some questions that tie academia and educational systems to “Creating Knowledge”.

This theme is explored in Case 1, “Student’s View on the Status of Academic Freedom”, which raises important questions regarding the creation of safe spaces and the importance of freedom of speech within academic societies, and Case 3, “Refugee Children’s Educational Integration”, where the accessibility and availability of knowledge when taking language barriers, trauma, and foreign cultures into consideration is explored.

How can students create knowledge that is helpful and important, and how can we contribute to making knowledge accessible to the public?