Appropriation of Information, Knowledge Construction and the Role of Mediator/Apropiacion de la informacion, construccion del conocimiento y el papel del mediador.
| Autor | Oliveira-Del Massa, Heloa Cristina |
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Introduction
The origin of this study arose from the need to explore specifically the discussion between appropriation of information and knowledge construction.
Knowledge construction is a complex process that passes through several points and contexts of individual such as being inserted in society (Morin, 1999). The relationship with information should be considered within this complexity, avoiding the simplistic thought of information professionals, which ignores important points about how to add value to information. It is important to remember that the value of information is already added within the construction of information and, in addition, other values may be added throughout its life cycle.
The widespread use of the term information is not enough to create a cycle of knowledge, since this cycle is not constant, in addition, it presents a breakdown considering what the knower knows about the world, what is already constructed and never ends, however it presents a never-ending questioning about the world. (Oliveira, 2015).
Concerning this, it is considered the need to adopt a new stance that recognizes information as a process, which can only be designated as such by the individual who seeks information, although it is materialized based on possibilities determined by all individuals during the continuous construction of information, which is used as parameters and limits. This leads to a discussion of the importance of appropriation of information, the heart of mediation of information.
The questions arise: How is that both appropriation of information and knowledge construction are related? Would mediation be the way to these terms are related? The general aim of this study is to analyze the existing relations between appropriation of information and knowledge construction, as well as the emerging of mediation during these relations.
The research constitutes an exploratory and qualitative documentary study about the relations between the appropriation of information and the construction of knowledge, followed by a contrastive analysis that places the position of the mediator of the information in relation to the reader during a mediation process.
The results obtained can clarify, in the scope of Information Science (CI), the importance of the concern with the appropriation of the information and the aspects of the discussions of the own characterization of the information for the area.
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Knowledge Construction
It should be considered the changes in society in which the Library and Information Science (LIS) is embedded. All paradigm shifts, globalization, as well as popularization of Internet, etc., are factors that compose the scenario where science is developed. Over the years, many services and studies are presenting themselves insufficient and subject to change within the new scenarios. There is no escaping this questioning, which is growing all the time in the field of LIS. This questioning cycle is not assumed in a different way.
According to different fields, human knowledge follows different approaches. It is studied the role of brain, praxis, culture, time, etc., within this complex process. Therefore, the question arises: What involves this complexity? Morin (2003) points out that
at first sight, complexity is a tissue (Complexas means that which is woven together) of heterogeneous constituents inseparably related: it presents the paradox unity and multiplicity. Secondly, complexity is effectively the tissue of events, actions, interactions, retroactions, determinations, hazards, all that constitutes our phenomenal world. Thus complexity reflects many disturbing traits of tangle, of inextricable, of disorder, of ambiguity, of uncertainty ... therefore knowledge needs to order the phenomena rejecting the disorder, driving off everything that is uncertain, that is to say select elements of order and certain, specify, clarify, distinguish, prioritize [...]. (p. 13) Studying every point of knowledge construction separately, excluding all aspects mentioned by Morin, might find interesting considerations since they are based on segmented visions of a whole, which makes the individual lose a lot about himself as a whole.
Morin (2011) also stresses that
Everywhere there is the need for the principle of explanation that is richer than the principle of simplification (separation/reduction), what we could call principle of complexity. It is clear that it is based on need to distinguish and analyze, as the precedent one, but in addition, it seeks to establish communication between what is distinguished: the object and the environment, the observer and what is observed. It is required an effort not to sacrifice the whole to the part or the part to the whole, but to understand the key problem of organization [...]. (p. 30) As mentioned above, this view and complex study about the whole is based on with a focus on certain points, however it must be emphasized that it is not possible to isolate the analysis. In this case, the individual is not excluded from the environment for understanding generation of knowledge, on the contrary, the points exposed in this relationship between being/environment, which passes through this construction.
Every Being has a genetic load resulting from many years of evolution of a species. These characteristics will involve physical peculiarities, which will have impact on the development of each individual.
It should be also noted in this respect that there is a changing historical context full of socio-cultural influences responsible for perceptions and attitude to life. Hessen (2000) points out the essence of knowledge: "Awareness and object, subject and object are faced to each other in knowledge. Knowledge appears as a relation between both elements. Within this relation, subject and object remain separated forever. Subject and object dualism belongs to essence of knowledge" (p. 20).
The relation between subject and object also represents a correlation; this means that there is no exhaustion or annulment of any of them during the process. Considering this problem as a priority, the question arises: how is that both subject and object are related?
Taking this relation as a dialogue, there is a context where individual and environment although mutually express and affect each other they still living individually. The individual changes his environment at the same time he is changed by the environment and both individual and environment continue to live separately.
As Blikstein (2003) said, the vision that is held of world and reality "depends, above all, on a social practice and construction" (p. 53). Being in the world does not provide, by itself, the response to knowledge construction. Nevertheless, there is a real need of immersion and familiarity with peculiarities and expressions of society.
Morin (1999) holds that "knowledge cannot be dissociated from human life because it is at the same time biological, cerebral, spiritual, logical, linguistic, cultural, social and historical" (p. 26).
Imbrication of all these aspects that is also called knowledge, which is characterized by the process involved in this construction, including personal, historical and social aspects, considering an infinite cycle of construction and deconstruction.
It would be a mistake to ignore these complex aspects, which form part of the human beings, the world and which is obviously part of knowledge. Morin (2007) considers this "blinding", "prehistory of human knowledge", resulting in the generation and dissemination of "mutilating believes".
This means when complexity is excluded, the generation of knowledge does not disappear, but it is done on a wrong way, that is, on a way that excludes the whole, which exists before the part, which is made of it, which is part of it. As Morin said, complexity is not "the key to the world", on the contrary, it is a challenge to be faced in the world.
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Appropriation of Information
According to the Glossary of technical terms on Library and Information Science--LIS (Informacao, 2010), information is defined as:
gathering of data in a meaningful manner in order to be able to communicate. The content may appear in any format--written or printed, provided by electronic database...
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