The Consciously Ignorant

According to Reser & Smithson (1988:13) uncertainty and ignorance do not always have dysfunctional psycho-social consequences and a great deal of normal human functioning depends crucially upon the creation and uses of ignorance.

For many citizens of both developed and developing countries where dysfunctional psycho-socio-political systems are perpetuated, ignorance is valid currency. The list of misinformation and gaps in basic knowledge is as impressive in its scope as it is ominous for the well-being of the democratic process. (Bowers 1993: 40)

This ignorance is the crucial support which enables ordinary people to get on with everyday life in the face of what they conceive as insurmountable ills. It is the numbing wand with which their leaders control without much fear of reprisal.

Reser & Smithson (1988) use as their case study, the nuclear threat and 'collaborative not dealing with' the issue as a way of coping with the horror of the situation and as a plausible excuse for not becoming involved in the nuclear debate. A valuable insight which they provide explains why in some situations, information or resulting knowledge may not yield beneficial consequences. Knowledge does not always mean empowerment.

If citizens sense an absence of a framework for translating knowledge into affirmative action then ignorance may actually become a source of comfort. Secondly "knowledge itself may exact costs in addition to the time and effort required to obtain it, i.e. the attribution of responsibility for one's own choices." (Reser & Smithson 1988:19).

Citizens may and do find relief in passing on responsibility for crucial decisions to those who profess to have more expertise, even if they suspect that this expertise is non-existent or underemployed.

BOWERS, C.A. (1993). Education, cultural myths and the ecological crisis: Toward deep changes. Albany, N.Y.: SUNY Press.
RESER, Joseph P & SMITHSON, Michael J. (Winter 1988-1989). When ignorance is adaptive: Not knowing about the nuclear threat. Knowledge in Society, 1(4), 7-27
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