TOK journal sample TOK journal sample entry

In TOK, we have been looking at the Ebola crisis in Africa. This week, we read an article published in the Telegraph where a British doctor working in Sierra Leone had been interviewed. He stated that he thought the virus was spreading so rapidly because many people in infected areas were not seeking medical treatment because of a belief that the disease was the work of sorcerers and witchcraft.

This made me think about belief as a way of knowing and in this example, indigenous knowledge systems as an area of knowledge. I have read news reports suggesting that eating infected bush meat might be a cause of the virus. The hunting and eating of bush meat is considered an IKS for many African people as well as the belief in witchcraft or sorcery. This led me to a few knowledge questions: x

KQ: How can belief, especially in the area of Indigenous Knowledge systems alter our understanding of knowledge/inhibit our understanding? KQ: How can we know when practices in indigenous knowledge systems are beneficial or harmful in maintaining a cultural identity? From here, you can develop new questions or add links to other articles you’ve read. x Click to save your response