OK, so, I wanted to think about this a little before I responded.
I think your points dovetail with the criticisms leveled at the Singularity Narrative, or Open Source. The concept of "everyone has all knowledge and experience at their fingertips" is nice, but it ignores the fact that we already have a LOT Of knowledge available and don't pay attention to it, and that the knowledge we do get is all too often viewed through lenses greased with our biases. I think it's important for that criticism to loom larger in those debates.
BUT. I can't help but think that true knowledge is all that defeats bad knowledge. The only thing that strikes down prejudice and stereotypes is learning how wrong they are. And I'm sure you know this already, and I don't want to take away from the really excellent points you made in this essay, or dismiss the need for safe spaces. It's just that for me at least, there's a great deal of tension between not wanting to put the burden of education on already oppressed or under/mis-represented groups and wanting to make sure that their voices aren't silenced under the weight of majority groups studying them, or talking for them. I mean, I want to learn true history, or as close to the truth as I can get. And that's just not possible if only one group is speaking, or speaking where I can hear.
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Thu, Jul. 30th, 2009 02:30 am (UTC)I think your points dovetail with the criticisms leveled at the Singularity Narrative, or Open Source. The concept of "everyone has all knowledge and experience at their fingertips" is nice, but it ignores the fact that we already have a LOT Of knowledge available and don't pay attention to it, and that the knowledge we do get is all too often viewed through lenses greased with our biases. I think it's important for that criticism to loom larger in those debates.
BUT. I can't help but think that true knowledge is all that defeats bad knowledge. The only thing that strikes down prejudice and stereotypes is learning how wrong they are. And I'm sure you know this already, and I don't want to take away from the really excellent points you made in this essay, or dismiss the need for safe spaces. It's just that for me at least, there's a great deal of tension between not wanting to put the burden of education on already oppressed or under/mis-represented groups and wanting to make sure that their voices aren't silenced under the weight of majority groups studying them, or talking for them. I mean, I want to learn true history, or as close to the truth as I can get. And that's just not possible if only one group is speaking, or speaking where I can hear.