knowledge_and_politics_-_rob_higson.pptx

ib conocimiento y politica

1. Knowledge and Politics 13.11.20 RHI

2. http://polquiz.com/ Do you have a political philosophy (ideology)? STARTER :

3. What is power? What is politics? Robert Dahl , political theorist, argued famously that power was the ability for A to get B to do what they otherwise wouldn’t do At its heart, politics is the study of power : who has it, why they have it, why they use it, how they use it. Think : Who has power over you?

4. If 51% of people voted to have segregation in schools, with black and white children taught separately, is this democratic ? Let’s test your political belief system: Discuss 1

5. Before 1954, the majority of Americans were fine with segregated schools Majority power was used oppress the minority of black Americans In this example, the majority is imposing and enforcing injustice on a minority. Despite protestations to the contrary from some at the time, this seems incompatible with liberal democracy We might call this the ‘ Tyranny of the Majority ’

6. The ‘Tyranny of the Majority’ Indeed, the famous commentator on American democracy, Alexis de Tocqueville , wrote in his books Democracy in America about the ‘ Tyranny of the M ajority ’ This is when majority rule - the basis of democracy - ends up perverting democracy by forcing injustice on the minority

7. So, what is an ideology? Ideologies – or political belief systems – are a set of beliefs about how you think power should, or should not be exercised, in a society Whether you realise it or not, you have an ideology – you will ‘ fall ’ somewhere on the ideological spectrum Whether you realise how or not, your ideology is shaped in innumerable ways The term  ideology  originates from  French   idéologie , itself deriving from combining  Greek :  idéā   ('notion , pattern'; close to the  Lockean  sense of  idea ) and  logíā   ('the study of'). How is an ideology inculcated? Your peer groups Your upbringing Your level of education One’s religious beliefs One’s cultural background The political system in which you live

8. What is an ideology?

9. Where do terms ‘left wing’ and ‘right wing’ come from? The split dates to the summer of 1789, when members of the National Assembly in France met to begin drafting a constitution. The delegates were divided over what authority   Louis XVI  should have, and as the debate raged, the two factions each staked out territory in the assembly hall. The anti-royalist revolutionaries seated themselves to the presiding officer’s left, while the more conservative, aristocratic supporters of the monarchy gathered to the right Source: History.com – Author: Evan Andrews https ://www.history.com/news/how-did-the-political-labels-left-wing-and-right-wing-originate

10. Discuss 2 : Are your political beliefs also learned, or are they innate? Talking point: Nelson Mandela famously argued that racism was not innate (born with) – but learned behaviour

11. Is there ever a neutral position from which to judge political opinions? Terms like ‘politician’ and ‘rhetoric’ or often used in a pejorative way – almost as an insult The implication is that espousing one’s political beliefs is biased or one-sided Perhaps this is because we pride ourselves on rationality , reason and desire objectivity   However, is it ever possible to transcend one’s own political paradigm ? Can one ever be truly neutral ?

12. Can students identify biased materials?   Source: Wall Street Journal (2016) https ://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYc-hd1QSwA

13. Does the media challenge our political preconceptions, or mirror them? Source: Al Jazeera English https ://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34LGPIXvU5M According to American linguist and political activist, Noam Chomsky , media operate through five filters: ownership, advertising, the media elite, flak and the ‘common enemy’ This ultimately affects what we think we ‘know’ by ‘manufacturing consent’

14. Does the media challenge our political preconceptions, or mirror them? Source: Pew Research Centre Avilable at: https://www.journalism.org/2014/10/21/political-polarization-media-habits/pj_14-10-21_mediapolarization-08/

15. Does the media challenge our political preconceptions, or mirror them? Source: AllSides.com Media Bias Ratings

16. Is there such a thing as a post-fact world ? How Fake News Grows in a Post-Fact World | Ali Velshi | TEDxQueensU Source: https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkAUqQZCyrM

17. YOUR TASK: Use the handout ‘Knowledge and Politics’ – on Google Classroom: How might political controversies be triggered by developments in scientific knowledge? (see ‘Evolution in Schools’, p234) Evaluate your own personal use of social media. Which platform do you use the most? Which news sources do you use for current affairs and political news? Have you ever seen a post that was clearly untrue? To what extent are your political views shaped by society , family backgrounds , education or social class ?

18. HOMEWORK: If you have it, watch the Social Dilemma on Netflix . Reflect on the following: How is ‘big data’ shaping our political knowledge Why do some private enterprises seek to shape political knowledge using social media?