Knowing and Not Knowing

This collection explores the complexities of knowledge construction and challenges conventional legitimacy in education, as presented in Knowing and Not Knowing.

The social landscape is filled with dominant knowledge formations that shape both individual and institutional identities. In Knowing and Not Knowing, the authors delve into how certain knowledge is legitimized and accepted, while other forms are often resisted or suppressed. This exploration raises critical questions about the nature of knowledge itself: How do we construct our understanding? Are there alternative ways of knowing that challenge our comfort zones? Do we rely too heavily on established institutions and conventional methods to create secure knowledge? Furthermore, what implications arise from attempting to build knowledge structures that are intentionally insecure?

This collection engages with these complex inquiries through a diverse range of psychoanalytic and social theories, drawing from influential thinkers such as Bion, Freud, Lacan, Derrida, Kristeva, and Zizek. Contributors from North America, Europe, and Japan examine the interplay of writing as a practice that can either solidify or disrupt individual subjectivities. They investigate the unconscious dynamics between educational practices, subjectivities, and ideologies, along with the emotional energies tied to mourning and melancholia that affect both formal and informal learning environments.

Knowing and Not Knowing serves as a rich resource for students and academics who seek to challenge normative structures of legitimacy in education and research. By blending empirical and theoretical perspectives, this collection encourages readers to rethink their assumptions about knowledge and its role in teaching and learning processes. Originally published as a special issue of Pedagogy, Culture & Society, it offers a thought-provoking examination of the complexities surrounding knowledge production.