Anthropology Faculty Publications
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
Summer 2026
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to delineate the causes and dangers of truth decay for a democracy, the role education has played in the process, and how education can present a resistance to this dangerous trend. Truth decay has been characterized as an increase in quantity of opinion over fact, divergent views on what constitutes a fact, and decreased confidence of traditional sources of information. We agree that truth decay is a serious problem but would characterize it somewhat differently. Opinions, divergent views, and decreased confidence in traditional sources of information are not detrimental by themselves. Instead, we see truth decay as characterized by the abandonment of a tradition of subjecting our divergent views and opinions to critical scrutiny. We find that education needs to be deeply concerned with separating, as thoroughly as possible, true statements from falsehoods, which requires criticism. In this paper we draw attention to two phenomena that currently promote truth decay: schismogenesis and censorship. We explore how education over the past three decades has contributed to truth decay and how schismogenesis is reflected in school policies today. We conclude with suggestions and resources as to how education can present a resistance to this phenomenon.
Recommended Citation
Varbelow, Sonja, and William Yaworsky. 2026. “Polarized Truth Decay & the Role of Education in a Democracy.” Critical Questions in Education 17 (2): 89–106. https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/anthro_fac/1.
First Page
89
Last Page
106
Publication Title
Critical Questions in Education
Comments
Copyright © Academy for Educational Studies.
The Academy for Educational Studies, in turn, agrees to grant permission to authors to republish their manuscripts subject only to the condition that Critical Questions in Education be given proper credit as the original source and the Academy for Educational Studies as original publisher.