Asymmetrical knowledge: An anthropological proposal from Argentina to study how we affectedly know with others in an unequal world

Abstract

Knowledge is constructed and embedded in our bodies, which means that the material conditions of our own anatomy and environment intrinsically inform our understanding, as do the social practices in which we are immersed within our communities. Cognitive and affective processes are also thus inseparable since we know together with others, always insert in asymmetrical relationships that leave a trace on our cognitive-affective tie to the world. As Argentinean anthropologists, we contend with the ongoing effects of universalizing “Global North” psychologies in the contexts of global inequalities that impact children as well as southern researchers. Given this, the aim of this article is to present an anthropology of knowledge that puts these two effects of inequalities in dialogue while addressing the affective-cognitive debates from South America in conversation with contributions of authors from the “Global North.” Building upon fieldwork in our home country that explores the religious formative experiences of Toba/Qom children and the political experiences of children who live in squatter buildings, we use ethnography and the clinical method of psychology to examine the diverse ways in which children form and participate in communities, and in so doing, appropriate and transform their experiences into knowledge.