Plausible Answers to Ways of Knowing

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Plausible Answers to Ways of Knowing - The Categories

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University of Wisconsin, Parkside
Latest update:October 24, 1998
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Ways of Knowing - The Categories

The table of categories is in on p. 31 of the text. Now that we have discussed separate and connected knowing in detail it is time to go back to the basic definitions of the categories as the text defines them and the readings develop them.
Subjective knowing is perhaps the most difficult because it leads us into the trap of "essentialism." And it falls into the trap of political correctness and of the dilemma that no one can really hear anyone or know anything in this world of postmodernism. Subjective knowing can and should be, according to these authors, and according to your teacher, a stage in the development of knowledge and of one's self-awareness as a learner. At the stage of subjective knowing, the learner develops the confidence to trust her/his own instincts about knowledge. She/he then proceeds to compare that knowledge to that of others, to recognize lacunae, to develop tolerance for ambiguities and inconsistencies amongst the different perceptions of knowledge. The "essentialist" view merely sees the individual as unique and us as incapable of communicating that uniqueness. The women who put together Women's Ways of Knowing are not that fatalistic and lacking in hope. They are hesitant in saying that the epistemological scheme they offer is that of the future for all of us, male and female, Western and other, but they do say it, and other authors, like Sandra Harding, echo that theme robustly.
This exercise is designed to help you clarify the various stages of development in our ways of knowing. Identify the way of knowing suggested by each of the following fact patterns, with a brief allusion to the facts in the pattern that caused you to so identify the category.

Katie simply "knows" that one should get one's homework in on time. She doesn't care if the other students ignore the dates and don't turn it in on time. She knows insider of herself that the homework should be done, and on time.
Way of Knowing: Subjective knowing.
Facts: "knowledge comes from within herself." She is not concerned about what others think or do.
In fact, this is an "essentialist" example of subjective knowing because Katie doesn't make any attempt to find out if, within the context of this particular class, her attitude is the only one, or to compare that attitude to other information about the exercises. She "knows" and doesn't question that knowing.
Helen is learning to use a lathe. Her father takes the piece of wood from her and says, "No, like this," and proceeds to shape the wood. Helen watches and says nothing.
Way of Knowing: Received knowing and possibility that this is an example of silence as knowing.
Facts: Knowledge goes from the father (the knower) to Helen (the learner). Helen watches and apparently tries to learn. Helen offers no opinion; doesn't speak. It could be that she is just responding to the authority of her father without thinking, or it could be that she is merely intent on learning.
Suppose in the example above, Helen, although she watches her father's handling of the wood, doesn't care very much. She supposes she will learn some day because that's something all the kids have to do here. But she doesn't much care.
Way of Knowing: Opens very real possibilities of silence as the way of knowing.
Facts: This additional information about Helen gives us the sense that she is non-responsive as a learner in this situation, and gives no evidence of her ability or willingness to think critically. Before we draw general conclusions about Helen as a learner, we would need more information to draw a conclusion, like whether this was simply a task in which she was not interested.
In the example of Helen and the lathe, suppose that Helen at one point asks her father, "You mean like this?" and takes the wood to demonstrate her question. Would this alter your perception of Helen as a learner?
Way of Knowing: Received knowing. Silence as knowing would no longer apply.
Facts: : This additional "What if?" shows that Helen perceives herself as learning, that she is intent on learning. Her question shows that she is trying to learn. Now this example becomes clearly received knowing.
FOR EXTRA CREDIT - How are classroom examples of learning like Helen's example? Do you think students are sometimes categorized as "silenced," non-responsive learners on the basis of inadequate evidence? How could we prevent that, if you believe it to be so?
Consider the opportunity for the learner to ask, clarify, compare knowledge from different sources. Consider the openness of the classroom to other kinds of knowledge. Consider ways of suggesting such openness to the academic institution. Note Stanton's caution on p. 37: "When a faculty committee reworked the mini course materials to incorporate them into year-long core courses, they erased components that emphasized students' shared dialogues, reflection on themselves as knowers, and gaining a voice. Instead, sole focus on content (albeit interdisciplinary) was reinstituted, a reminder of how difficult it is to grasp and implement ideas from a new paradigm in a setting where traditional views about teaching and learning receive unquestioning support."
Note also Harding's comparison in Chapter 14, pp. 431-449, to feminist concerns for ways of knowing with the "crisis in epistemology," in which science and technology are seen as bringing severe limitations as well as abundant resources. Western science brings with it specific kinds of ignorance. We will return to these questions and to Burbules' Risky Promises on another exercise on epistemology.
Henry is in a class where there is lots of discussion, but most of it is based on people's personal opinions. Henry is suspicious of people who "just know" from their personal experience. He want to be "objective," and is convinced that answers are there if we work hard enough to find them. Henry is uncomfortable in the class.
Way of Knowing: Procedural - separate knowing
Facts: Henry wants objectivity, recognizes that there are other ways of knowing - subjective, but believes that one framework, scientific is best. He doesn't listen carefully to discover meaning in other frameworks; he is uncomfortable with the different framework.
Albert is very careful in class discussions to encourage people who seem unwilling to speak up. He tries to find something supportive to say of all comments. He looks for good points that might help him examine his own framework of knowing. He realizes that some people are speaking from their personal experience, while others have considered the issue theoretically.
Way of Knowing: Constructed, connected knowing.
Facts: Constructed because he is trying to integrate the different frameworks and he is exhibiting empathic listening.
Connected because he shows concern for finding overall patterns into which all can fit and in which all validity claims can contribute to the communal knowledge.
Anna is sure that students must do what they're told. She is confused and uncomfortable when a few of the other students ask why they should have to.
Way of Knowing: Silence
Facts: Anna accepts unquestioningly the power of the authority. She displays discomfort when authority is questioned.
Lucie doesn't care if the whole world says the earth is round. Lucie knows it's flat. Anyone can see that.
Way of Knowing: Silence as knowing.
Facts: Lucie's knowledge comes from within. She shows no interest in checking it against the knowledge of others. This fact pattern would suggest that she had discovered the stage of giving voice to her own knowledge, but had not learned to recognize and incorporate other frameworks into her knowledge.
Sally has examined the fact pattern on Lucie (#9) very carefully. She has reviewed the categories and the facts as they are given. Sally announces to her chat group that she knows the answer: Lucie is at the stage of silence in knowing. Albert disagrees. He insists that Lucie is just confused by the fact that her common sense tells her that the portion of the world that she can see looks flat. Albert says that if they can show Lucie the broader perspective of the world as a globe, in some concrete example such as we use in physics labs, then Lucie will move to the level of received knowing. Albert also points out that Lucie might well be at the level of received knowing on some other concepts. Sally responds that even if Albert were right, the assignment was to identify the stage that Lucie is at, not to teach her to move beyond it. Albert responds that their measurement of Lucie's stage in ways of knowing might be spurious. Sally responds that Albert is making the exercise too complicated.
Way of knowing for Sally: Procedural and separate knowing.
Facts: Sally is conscious of the different frameworks for knowledge. She acknowledges Albert's position, but debates it. She shows no indication of seeking to integrate Lucie's position with other knowledge, and there is little concern for two-way dialogue. On the other hand, the instructions for the exercise did not give us enough information to say whether we are using this example to place Lucie in a stage of knowing, generally. If so, Albert would have a good point. In any case, Sally shows less concern with active listening and with two-way discourse than does Albert. Thus, we conclude that in this instance, Sally is exhibiting separate rather than connected knowing, engaging in debate more than attempting to integrate the different ways of knowing.
Way of Knowing for Lucie: Subjective knowing , essentialist style (separate knowing)
Facts: Lucie values her own opinion. She trusts her own knowledge and shows no sign of seeking of or being aware of other frameworks. However, Albert is right. We may not be able to generalize from this example to Lucie's general pattern of knowing. This is a problem when we generalize too quickly from limited personal experience.
Way of Knowing for Albert: Constructive Knowing and connected knowing.
Facts: Albert expresses an understanding of how Lucie might have drawn the conclusion that the earth is flat, and he sees the rationale of Sally's reasoning. He tries to integrate the two, to be sure that communication is clear. He shows empathy and concern for both Lucie's and Sally's position, since he sees the fallacy in Lucie's reasoning, but he sees also how Sally might draw a spurious conclusion if she doesn't seek further.

Jeanne.

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