E3: The Foundation: Whose Knowledge Counts? Culture, Power, and Learning

In this episode of The Cultural Context of Knowledge, host Donald Easton-Brooks asks a foundational question most schools rarely name: What counts as knowledge—and who gets to decide? Moving beyond the myth that curriculum and assessment are neutral, this episode examines how knowledge is shaped by history, culture, and power, and how “standard” definitions of intelligence can privilege some ways of knowing while marginalizing others.

You’ll be introduced to key ideas, including epistemology, master narratives, sociocultural learning theory, and Funds of Knowledge, with clear connections to everyday classroom practice. The episode also explores Community Cultural Wealth and the consequences of misrecognition—the hidden “tax” students pay when they must constantly translate their identities and reasoning to be seen as capable. The closing challenge is practical and urgent: redesign learning so schools stop asking, “How do we fix students?” and start asking, “How do our systems fail to recognize what students already know?” This is an episode for educators, leaders, and learners committed to rigor, equity, and meaningful learning.