Sunday, March 23, 2008

Knowledge and Power: Term vary in Bangladeshi Context


Knowledge this term refers to expertise or stillness of a person, which are acquiring through experience and education। It is not necessarily that, one should educated through academic degree only, it could achieve from society and nature also. on the other word we can explain the term as awareness and familiarity gained by experience of a fact of situation.





Now let us clear the term, power. It can be define from various ways actually, if we put our concentration on Social perspective, we will find Power means ability to make choice or influence outcomes, which is also power held by a person or group of people in a society. There is a strong relation between Knowledge and power term.

Most of the traditional approach is, Power is achieved through Knowledge. I mean the person who is educated he gained power too. However, according to Michel Foucault, Knowledge and Power is same thing. Foucault thought reflect that, power is situate among a society. In addition, it is being practiced over the year and can be show on the basis and demand of situation. According to him, a knowledgeable person is always respecting from every part of the society. As mass people put their faith on that person, ultimately, what he/she states that is cordially received from every part of the society, however the information is not true. this sort of practice create an image among the society and which have been practiced over the year, as most of the people have full of belief on particular person's thought, that create a power too.

Foucault extends his thought in this way, power and knowledge is the belief that those who are in power have specialist knowledge, like physicians, producers, administrative people, or even teacher too.


However, for some obvious reasons, considering social practice of this sub continent the term Power, practicing in a different way. The person who is rich and have inherited lots of property are considering as Power person. Academic even knowledge do not play any role here. In Bangladeshi rural practice the person who has lots of wealth considered as leader of the society; some cases real knowledgeable persons are neglected.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

This is a solid blog on power and knowledge. How are YOU participating in this formulation? You are a reporter, therefore you are supposed to have specialized knowledge.

J-