im PublikationsserverTitelangaben
Pfaller-Rott, Monika ; Biehl, Larissa Nathalie:
Epistemic sovereignty and democratization of knowledge : Indigenous knowledge and its
transformative role in social work and research in Germany.
2026
Veranstaltung: The Joint Conference on Social Work, Education and Social Development (SWSD): HARAMBEE, FOR SUSTAINABLE SHARED FUTURES, 29.06.2026, Kenyatta International Convention Centre, Nairobi, Kenia.
(Veranstaltungsbeitrag: Kongress/Konferenz/Symposium/Tagung, Vortrag)
Kurzfassung/Abstract
Against the backdrop of the West’s lack of epistemic sovereignty and the urgent need to democratise indigenous knowledge systems, there is intense debate within Germany, particularly at the macro level, regarding both the challenges and the consequences of the rigid and inherently egocentric use of hegemonic knowledge systems. In this context, the Western forms of knowledge that have hitherto dominated – and which are treated as universal and without alternative – are coming under criticism from both academic and societal quarters, as they lead, systematically and deliberately, to cultural devaluation and the tragic loss of traditions dating back millennia. To counteract this epistemic injustice, essential reforms are required to treat indigenous knowledge in Germany, and indeed across Europe, with recognition and respect, without triggering a ‘societal national backlash’ through accusations of cultural appropriation. Indigenous knowledge systems differ clearly from Western ones in one respect. This lies in reflexive, multidimensional subjectivity, both as an agent of value transmission and in its function as a method of indigenous research. Subjectivity as a radiant force in harmony with spiritual and natural dimensions, self-determined and transmitted through oral traditions across generations. Within the framework of the goal of epistemic freedom, philosophy offers a valuable and meaningful reflective level, as indigenous knowledge systems are often based on a relational ontology. Through its active and provocative call to rethink science in a way that benefits society, it aims to create a macrocosm in which hegemonic and indigenous knowledge systems can only fuse sustainably through genuine interest at the macro level. It is a protracted process, one in which Germany’s political sphere, too, benefits within the context of its current interpretation of the concept of ‘recognition’, in that, through the interplay of actio and reactio, the persistently excluded national minorities are also given a genuine chance of attaining a special protected status. It is therefore imperative to engage the cognitive level and to exercise the separation of powers in order to bring about the long-overdue decolonisation of existing scientific practices and to enshrine epistemic freedom – and thus social justice – at all levels as a fundamental executive right.
Forschungsprojekte
From Local Wisdom to Global Futures: Indigenous Knowledge, Sustainability and Women-Empowerment
Weitere Angaben
| Publikationsform: | Veranstaltungsbeitrag (unveröffentlicht): Kongress/Konferenz/Symposium/Tagung, Vortrag |
|---|---|
| Themenfelder: | Nachhaltigkeit, Transformation |
| Sprache des Eintrags: | Englisch |
| Institutionen der Universität: | Fakultät für Soziale Arbeit (FH) > Akademische Oberrätin für internationalen und nationalen Theorie-Praxis-Transfer |
| Titel an der KU entstanden: | Ja |
| KU.edoc-ID: | 37002 |
Letzte Änderung: 10. Aug 2026 14:44
URL zu dieser Anzeige: https://edoc.ku.de/id/eprint/37002/
