IA Prompt: How might the context in which knowledge is presented influence whether it is accepted or not?
Possible Themes: Knowledge and the Knower
Object 1: My Ukulele:
- I got this ukulele during 8th grade from my parents. I had one before this one, but I got this new one because it can connect to amps
Context, Connections
Justification:
This object shows how TOK functions in the real world because it shows how the context has changed my acceptance of playing instruments. Because my friends began to show interest in music, I decided to follow along. When my parents tried to make me play an instrument, I rejected it, because I saw no personal benefit to learning. However, once my closest friends began to show interest, I wanted to learn and I began interested because I thought it was "cool".
Connections: The shift in my interest in playing an instrument changed based on how my friends viewed playing an instrument, and based on my own personal goals for music.
Context: When I was younger, I told myself that I was never going to learn how to play an instrument. I hated the idea of playing guitar, I tried drums but I hated playing it, and I tried piano but I gave up after one song.
Object 2: Swimming Most Improved Trophy
Context, Connections
Justification: When I swam with Bolles, I loved swimming. I swam during both winter seasons, even if it was horrible to swim in the cold. This was because I was with my friends, and I wanted to continue learning so that I could compete. However, once I left Bolles and swam for Bartram, I quit. I wasn't swimming with my friends, so competition was gone. Because I had no drive to swim, the sport was no longer interesting. I no longer accepted the knowledge that was being presented to me while swimming for the new team. Learning was not fun anymore.
Context: This is a trophy that I got after two years of swimming at Bolles. I swam for two years beforehand, and one year after. However, after one year on a team that wasn't Bolles, I quit.
Connections: The change of teams and the fact that my friends no longer swam with me changed my mind when it came to swimming. My interest and acceptance of wanting to swim changed based on who I swam with and why I was swimming.
Object 3: Lil Nas X's exclusion from country music charts
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Connections: This is connected to the prompt because it shows how the changing of context changes acceptance. Once these people discovered Lil Nas X to be black (and the eventual discovery of his homosexuality), the country listener's opinion of his music changes. To add on, the exclusion of music from country music charts have been prominent, and seen previously with female country artists. These artists have also been taken on just because of their gender.
Context:
Lil Nas X's song Old town Road had been taken off of country music lists despite it's increasing popularity. The song was taken off after reaching number 9 on the charts. Country music radios have been known for having narrow playlists and excluding women and those of non-white descent.
Justification: Whether it be the fact that Old Town Road is primarily a rap song, or the fact that Lil nas x is black, this song has stirred up controversy within the country music realm. The removal of this song reflects the other forms of exclusion that have popped up in the country music realm.
Lil nas x and continued segregation
](https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2019/06/20/lil-nas-x-continued-segregation-country-music/)
Object 4: The Burning of Video Games at Sandy Hook and the burning of comic books at Spencer (1948)
Justification: Both of these events provide evidence for the way that context can influence acceptance. In both of these cases, these sources of media were burned because they believed that they would cause violence
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Contexts:
The burnings show how a belief and how that common case of correlation but not causation can cause an uproar. These parents decided to burn the comics and video games because they believed that they were causing violence in their children. When in reality, these commics were just lvoed by a certain demographic of teenagers and pre-teens who tend to be naturally more violent than their elementary or college counterparts.
Interpretation: In this I will mainly be discussing how personal beliefs, opinions, peer's opinions, and how change in these opinions may change decisions, and how the lack of change in these opinions create similar decisions.
Real Life:
Evidence: This ukulele runs under the AOK of Arts. This is because it relates to music. To add on this object deals with my own decisions and opinions as an artist, and how it changes as my friends and I develop our opinions.
Evidence: In a way, this object could relate to the AOK of the Arts. This is because it shows the censorship and destruction of an art form. These parents wanted to burn the books and the games because they wanted to prevent their children from showing off the violent themes present in comic books and video games. They want to mute an art form when these forms of art allow children to experience more violent themes without actually being subjected to violence. Though it will never be exactly the same, it is a way for the artist and the consumers to experience and become informed of/vent out and express darker themes.
Evidence: This trophy could be connected to the WOK of emotion. This is because a lot of the reason I decided to leave comes from my own emotions. My emotions drove my choices, especially those that wanted me to leave, and the changing of my emotions changes my decisions.