In praise of ignorance: Theoretically reconciling ignorance mobilization and knowledge mobilization towards network epistemic mobilization in collaborative science research networks

Abstract

In knowledge-based economies, how can the epistemic dynamics of academic research be understood in the context of collaborative research networks where knowledge production and use increasingly merge? My starting point is a potential epistemic blind spot in knowledge mobilization research on merging production and use dynamics: ignorance. I propose a new concept, ignorance mobilization, defined as the use of ignorance towards the achievement of goals. From the role of ignorance in research and innovation, to an understanding of epistemic (ignorance and knowledge) mobilization, I develop an interactive model of network epistemic mobilization. The model frames epistemic dynamics in collaborative research networks with production and use contexts. My main argument is that symmetrical social epistemology research can help understand the distinct and dynamic role of ignorance alongside knowledge in research and innovation. I draw from scholarship on the integration of academic research in knowledge-based economies, knowledge mobilization concepts and theory, sociology of knowledge and sociology of ignorance epistemic categories of ignorance and knowledge and their dynamics in research and innovation, and Simmelian and Weberian theories of action. Finally, this exploration is part of a broader collaborative research agenda that I hope can contribute to understanding and dialogue in praise of ignorance.