Steven Ratuva — Raising the bar

Fakes and Fakers: Are We Real?

Are we living in a fake world? How much of what we know, see, and feel is fake? Are we guilty of being perpetrators and creators of fakes? These questions may sound simple, but they point to deeper sociological and philosophical issues that reflect the deepening crisis of knowledge in our world. The line between fake and ‘truth’ has become nebulous and, in many instances, non-existent. Fake knowledge can be consciously or unconsciously constructed in different ways and reproduced to serve various purposes, or it can simply be part of an exercise for its own sake to add to the chorus of fake narratives that populate the internet and our everyday lives.

As you sip your favourite drink in the bar, this will be a great opportunity for your excited alcohol-induced brain cells to reflect on the impact of fake knowledge on your mind while you delve into the dark and slippery terrains of epistemic fakeness.

Bio

Steven Ratuva is Pro-Vice Chancellor Pacific as well as Director of the Macmillan Brown Center for Pacific Studies at UC. An award-winning political sociologist, he is also Chair of the International Political Science Association research committee on Climate Security and Planetary Politics, and a former Fulbright scholar. He is an interdisciplinary scholar who has led international research teams on several global issues relating to ethnicity, security, social protection, affirmative action, social indexes, and political transformation. The Fiji-born academic has also carried out consultancy and advisory roles for a number of regional and international organizations.