Commodification of knowledge: A mechanism of knowledge appropriation
2011, 7(3), pp.145-167
Publisher : Institute of Distance Education
Research Area : Education
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The purpose of this paper is to critically review issues of knowledge appropriation. The current society, the so called knowledge-based society, tries to facilitate the standardization and manualization of knowledge in order to transfer knowledge to people easily and efficiently increase economic value. In this process, the commodification of knowledge is inevitable and it creates the possibility that someone may create a monopoly of knowledge. To critically analyze this process, this paper investigates what kinds of perspectives on knowledge exist, what are the implications of terms, reification, commodities, and the commodification in Marxism to the commodification of knowledge, and what is the commodification of knowledge. To achieve its purpose, this paper scrutinizes and analyzes discussions on the commodification and appropriation of knowledge utilizing Marxist theoretical frameworks. This paper does not argue that no knowledge should be transformed into a kind of commodity. To develop social and economic growth for survival, some levels of knowledge need to be used to improve economic value. What this paper aims to highlight is that there are some kinds of knowledge that cannot and should not be changed into economic values. In addition, to defend our lifeworld from this danger of commodification, we need to critically understand and analyze the mechanism of this process. In this context, Marx's ideas can create a good starting point for understanding and analyzing the commodification of knowledge as a mechanism of knowledge appropriation.
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