#EveryLittleActionCounts Week 58: Become sensitive when constructing knowledge!
In academia, knowledge is of treated as universal and objective, yet it is always shaped by context – by who produces it, for whom, where, and under what conditions. Becoming sensitive to this contextuality is not merely a scholarly obligation; it is an ethical one. Becoming sensitive can support you to cultivate a deeper awareness of how power, place and perspective shape what we research, write, how we teach, and what we cite.
“Sensitive people are driven by an internal quest for meaning. When something doesn’t feel right, it can be difficult for them to push through and just “do it anyway.” – Jenn Granneman
Here are three tips that support you in becoming more sensitive when constructing knowledge:
Include positionality and context! – add a brief paragraph in your next paper, syllabus, or research plan reflecting on your positionality and the specific context in which the knowledge is being constructed. This helps foregrounding the social, cultural, and institutional factors shaping your work and invites others to be critical.
Cite outside the epistemological canon! In your next publication or syllabus, intentionally include at least one scholar or sources form outside the dominant canon. Actively diversifying citations make the broader ecosystem of knowledge and challenges more visible and challenges the reproduction of epistemic exclusion.
Aks students or colleagues “whose knowledge is this”? – During a lecture or seminar, or peer discussion, pause to ask: “ whose knowledge are we engaging with here? Who is not in the room?”. Prompting these questions creates space for critical conversations about epistemic authority, voice, and absence in both curriculum and research.
We would be very happy to hear about your strategies for overcoming fear in academia!
Anne-Wil Harzing & Christa Sathish