PROMPT 2 Are some types of knowledge more useful than others?
Knowledge usefulness depends on its practical nature where you can solve real world problems like engineering, medicine, technology etc. In the latter example, digital literacy might be highly valuable in the current world. I would personally say that any knowledge that can let people navigate social situations, improve good communication and understand cultural norms where they live is important. Added to this, knowledge related to problem solving, critical thinking and decision making skills that lead to analysing information, adapting to changing environment and letting them make good choices along with a knowledge of understanding ethical, moral behaviour, health, physical and mental well being contribute to be the most valuable.
Context and Purpose:
So the usefulness of knowledge depends on the context and the purpose as it is subjective and may vary depending on people’s preferences and the needs of that society. What is considered useful today may not be useful in the future because of the rapid technological advancements and various priorities in the world.
Examples of digital literacy as quoted earlier is now very much required in this century for participating in this digital economy, however critical thinking and interpersonal communication seems to have decreased nowadays due to this. Scientific knowledge even though improved our medical field has some potential ethical concerns and skewed resource allocation. Knowledge about health and nutrition is useful for making our lifestyle choices and thus reducing diseases, however too much of this obsession creates unnecessary anxiety and unrealistic beauty standards.
Similarly critical thinking is necessary but even practical knowledge is also important. Questions of justice, biasness or fairness in legalities also question how one can protect his/her rights in this legal system. Most of the nationalities talk about GDP, Growth as benchmark often, while knowledge about environment and sustainability concerns are more applicable now.
In our schools nowadays we are trained for the basic first aid process because in life saving times this knowledge is more urgent before the person is taken to the hospital. If a student is proficient in various languages, in future it will open a number of pathways for international business and cultural exchange programs. Therefore, it is important to note that the usefulness of knowledge is often interconnected and it is important to recognise the relevance of different types of knowledge based on the context.
Limitations:
While some types of knowledge seems to be more useful than others there are few limitations and challenges. Like for eg, in India and most south east Asian countries, I have seen a big importance in technical or scientific fields while arts is highly valued in few western counterparts. So as the technology advances it is very crucial for these tech geeks to stay updated. Economic and social factors adding up to cultural differences too challenge the perception and gaining of various knowledge. Knowledge being misused for developing mass bombs or weapons and thus leading to irresponsible ethical practices is a concern.
Conclusion: To conclude, whether some types of knowledge are useful than others depends on the context and therefore it is essential to make a balance between theoretical and practical knowledge and apply knowledge to real world situations in this 21st century.
