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According to some social psychologists, people tend to overemphasize internal factors as explanations—or attributions—for the behavior of other people. They tend to assume that the behavior of another person is a trait of that person, and to underestimate the power of the situation on the behavior of others. They tend to fail to recognize when the behavior of another is due to situational variables, and thus to the person’s state. This erroneous assumption is called the fundamental attribution...
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Ignorance as an under-identified social problem.

Sheldon Ungar1

  • 1Department of Social Science, University of Toronto at Scarborough, Canada. ungar@utsc.utoronto.ca

The British Journal of Sociology
|May 24, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study reveals how information overload in the knowledge society paradoxically intensifies ignorance, challenging the notion of the well-informed citizen. Understanding this knowledge-ignorance dynamic is crucial.

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Area of Science:

  • Sociology of Knowledge
  • Information Science
  • Cultural Studies

Background:

  • The concept of the 'knowledge society' assumes widespread access to information and informed citizenry.
  • However, persistent and intensifying ignorance is a growing concern, challenging this ideal.
  • Functional knowledge deficits are observed across individuals, experts, and organizations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the persistence and intensification of ignorance within the knowledge society.
  • To investigate the functional knowledge deficits that undermine the ideal of the well-informed citizen.
  • To analyze the contradictory dynamics driving the knowledge-ignorance paradox.

Main Methods:

  • Theoretical analysis of the knowledge society's dynamics.
  • Examination of research and observations on functional knowledge deficits.
  • Exploration of the knowledge-ignorance paradox through concepts like entry and speech barriers.

Main Results:

  • The information explosion in the knowledge economy creates a knowledge-ignorance paradox.
  • Pockets of public knowledge are often exceptional, requiring specific explanations.
  • Ignorance poses a serious social problem with potentially severe consequences.

Conclusions:

  • Ignorance is a significant social issue, yet it remains under-recognized due to its lack of marketability.
  • Future research should focus on the cultural and institutional factors contributing to the production of ignorance.
  • Addressing ignorance is essential for a functional and informed society.