Knowledge is never objective. How it gets constructed, written, interpreted, and shared is not only a subjective process, but rather it has traditionally been a function of those who hold power. Have you ever wondered why Christopher Columbus gets credited for discovering America? America was already inhabited when it was “found” by Columbus. However, from an elite, European male perspective, which has been the most dominant perspective since history has been written down, it is easy to interpret Columbus’s journey as discovery rather than a function of marginalization. Colonization is another example. Empire building to the West was destruction to the East and other historically marginalized people and regions across Asia and Africa. One just has to examine the history of India to understand its short and long-term effects on the colonized. Yet, from the perspective of the colonizer, they helped modernize the country and attempted to tame the “savages.”
Slowly, the construction of knowledge continues to alter to more readily reflect the lived experiences and realities of diverse groups, especially the marginalized. One such theory that has helped to change what counts as knowledge is standpoint theory. It posits that how one experiences and perceives a particularly historic moment and period is unique to one’s identity, which includes the socially constructed categories of gender, race, social class, sexuality, etc. More simply, you see and understand the world based on your social and historical location within it. More precisely, one’s experience with any specific moment is related to one’s standpoint. Standpoint theory was initially developed by feminist scholars to discuss how the construction of knowledge further marginalized groups who lack power, especially women. It argues that the best place to begin generating knowledge is from the marginalized rather than the powerful. Epistemologically, knowledge can benefit all that stems from those on the margins. Hence, rather than view colonization from the perspective of the white Eurpoeans, we should envision it from the perspectives of those who were colonized, which has happened over the past few decades. This rethinking, for example, has led us to understand how “savages” reflects the colonizers viewpoint.
As you can see, standpoint theory allows one to construct knowledge within one’s own social and historical space. Given this, it is apparent that not only is knowledge situated, but it is fluid and flexible across all domains. You can consume knowledge, but you can also generate it while keeping in mind that your own vision is limited as are the views of others. To engage in critical thinking rather than passively accepting the information you consume, you must consider the following: 1) From whose standpoint is this knowledge reflecting? 2) Who is benefitting from it? 3) Who is being marginalized or whose voices are missing? 4) How might others perceive this particular knowledge? What we know and how we know it is constantly evolving, which is why we should be vigilant in our quest to know.
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