The Social Life of Not Knowing: Advancing a Sociology of Denial and Ignorance

Session Submission Type: Invited Session (90 minute)

Description

Rather than conceptualizing the absence of knowledge as neutral or accidental, the sociology of denial and ignorance view not-knowing as pervasive and a fundamental social phenomenon. From climate denial and historical amnesia to white ignorance and willful unseeing, this area of inquiry asks: How is ignorance socially constructed? What is left out, dismissed, or buried in dominant narratives? What power dynamics are at play in what is remembered, forgotten, or deliberately obscured? This session will examine how denial and not-knowing operate not only in individuals, but also within institutions and collective memory, often reinforcing systems of domination and preventing social change. It will delve into the mechanisms through which ignorance is produced and sustained and discuss the kinds of research questions and empirical methods needed to advance the field.

Sub Unit

• Special Session

Presider

• Marianne Cooper, Stanford University

Panelists

• Jennifer (Jenni) C. Mueller, Skidmore College

• Kushan Dasgupta, University of Louisville

• Chana Teeger, London School of Economics and Political Science

• Eviatar Zerubavel, Rutgers University-New Brunswick

Session Organizer

• Marianne Cooper, Stanford University