QAnon, Conspiracy Pedagogies, and the Upside Down of Education: Toward a Postcritical Public Intellectualism

• In Event: Cultivating Equitable Education Through Challenging the Status Quo of Curriculum

Abstract

Critics often deride people who believe in and spread conspiracy theories for being illogical and lacking “critical thinking” skills. However, our analysis of the QAnon movement reveals that many of the processes current QAnon adherents use to interpret media and politics mirror approaches taken by critical academics, creating a litany of “upside-down” theoretical moves. This homology renders common intellectual approaches to analyzing conspiracy theory potentially useless and necessitates more nuanced forms of critique and resistance to address the seemingly ubiquitous conspiratorial thought that pervades contemporary political culture. We thus argue that the frequent calls for educators to employ “critical thinking” to combat conspiracy theories need to be radically reconsidered for a post-truth public.

Authors

• Jake Burdick, Purdue University

• Jennifer April Sandlin, Arizona State University