"Knowledge Production in Times of Fragility: An Overview of Syrian Art Production over the Last Decade" – Introduction

Abstract

Speaking of Pierre Bourdieu, John Lechte says, “Given the complexity that characterizes Bourdieu’s work, there is always a risk of misunderstanding him. It is therefore necessary to read his complete works with care - the same care that he himself took with his writings”. We begin with this quote to emphasize that the foundations of knowledge production, when approached from a sociological perspective, require studying complex conditions and determinants. These are a prerequisite for learning, recognition and research. Without them, learning can be misunderstood or misinterpreted, especially as knowledge production always takes place in a complex and complicated world that takes into account the “dominant context”, or even the dominant contexts. Although Lechte is referring to individual works in this sentence, he highlights the necessity of starting from the product itself as the basis for knowledge production, an approach that has always been essential to avoid the imposition of an analysis or an intrusive approach.