Education, Democracy, and Propaganda: An Epistemological Crisis

Authors

Sonja Varbelow
William R. Yaworsky, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Winter 2023

Abstract

This article explores the causes of the epistemological crisis that gave rise to conspiracy theories which culminated in large swathes of the U.S. population refusing to accept the outcome of a democratic election. An epistemological crisis is defined by a blurring of facts and falsehoods to the degree that blatant and obvious propaganda holds sway over large segments of the population, resulting in truth decay. We provide an analysis of the propa- ganda themes collected and identified by the Computational Propaganda Project from April through July of 2020 that demonstrate their prevalence in American social media platforms. We then show how education may limit propaganda’s deleterious effects. We approach our research in an interdisciplinary way from the fields of education and cultural anthropology and so contribute an angle to the current conversations about education in a democratic society that has not been the primary focus of educational thought.

Comments

Original published version available at http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1369502.pdf

Recommended Citation

Varbelow, S., & Yaworsky, W. (2023). Education, Democracy, and Propaganda: An Epistemological Crisis. Critical Questions in Education, 14(1), 1-13.

Publication Title

Critical Questions in Education