Towards an anthropology of misinformation
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 2248087 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Maxime Polleri (0000-0002-9645-4773, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2022 |
| Volume | 38 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Pages | 17-20 |
| Publication date | 2022-10-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Anthropology Today (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0268-540X • E-ISSN: 1467-8322 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/1467-8322.12754 |
| OpenAlex | W4298395517 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 8 |
| References cited | 12 |
This article stresses the importance of further developing an anthropological approach to misinformation studies. It argues that misinformation studies should outgrow their dichotomy between truth and falsity to instead study misinformation as signals that reveal a range of narratives and experiences within specific issues, such as the causes of mistrust in experts' organizations. Drawing on case studies surrounding Covid-19, police brutality and geopolitical tensions, this article provides three ways of anthropologically studying misinformation: (1) analysing misinformation within its context of production, rather than as isolated pieces of information; (2) analysing misinformation as a signal of trust towards the Other; and (3) analysing the unique characteristics of the network that allow misinformation to proliferate in digital social media. By theorizing misinformation beyond the duality of truth and falsity and highlighting methodological ways to research it pragmatically, the article encourages further education on the many forms that misinformation embodies
Deception · Epistemology · Falsity · Linguistics · Misinformation · Narrative · Political science · Sociology · History · Law · Misinformation and Its Impacts · Philosophy · Psychology · Social Media and Politics · Social Psychology
| Unique citing works | 8 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 2,67 |
| Citation span | 2023 - 2026 (4) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 7 |