Knowledge

Despite its centrality for all of social life, knowledge is commonly understood as either a technical or scientific phenomenon. More relevant is that knowledge suffuses all human experience: our natural and social environment is what we know of it! This book introduces the reader to the general social relevance of knowledge and offers a concise discussion of the role it plays in modern society.

Part I: Introduction: Classic Sociological Conceptions of Knowledge Part II: Knowledge About Knowledge 2. 1. Attributes of Knowledge 2. 2. Knowledge as a Capacity to Act 2. 3. Knowledge and Information 2. 4. Practical Knowledge 2. 5. Additional Knowledge 2. 6. The Uneven Development of Knowledge 2. 7. The Limits of the Growth of Knowledge 2. 8. A Sociological Concept of Knowledge and its Context Part 3: Policing Knowledge 3. 1. The Self-Realization of Knowledge 3. 2. The Self-Protection of Knowledge 3. 3. Knowledge Becomes Superfluous Part 4: Forms of Knowledge 4. 1. Everyday Knowledge 4. 2. The Power of Everyday Knowledge 4. 3. Indigenous or Traditional Knowledge 4. 4. Tacit Knowledge Part 5: Functions of Knowledge 5. 1. Knowledge as Power and Authority 5. 2. The Power of Ideas 5. 3. Knowledge and the Economy 5. 4. Knowledge as Property and Public Good Part 6: The Benefits of Knowledge 6. 1. The Distribution of Knowledge 6. 2. Knowledge, Power and Participation 6. 3. Knowledge Societies