Prompt- “Can new knowledge change established values or

beliefs”
THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE EXHIBITION

The prompt I have chosen is “Can new knowledge change established views or beliefs”. I will be
looking into this utilizing the theme of knowledge and the knower, to build my theory that new
knowledge can change our initial perspective.

This topic is particularly pertinent in today’s fast-paced society because we are continuously
compelled to rethink our perspectives and beliefs due to the rush of the new knowledge we acquire
on a daily basis.

Object: Enron Documentary

My first object is the theatrical release poster of Enron: The
Smartest Guys in the Room, a documentary film we studied in
our business management subject. The film primarily focuses
on the 2001 collapse of the Enron Corporation, which led to
the criminal prosecution of several of the company's top
executives during the ensuing Enron scandal, to explain how
new knowledge changes established values and beliefs
because corporations like Enron impact badly on our society.
But in the past, things weren't always like that. For all, Enron
used to be one of the most reputable companies, but things
changed when it started making money illegally, which the
Enron employees were good at concealing. New knowledge
can change our perceptions of what we previously did not
know, and obviously for Enron to be a fraud, it had to be
proven with valid evidence and that happened by experts like
Fortune magazine writer Bethany McLean were among the
first to question Enron's financial foundations, and gradually
other experts began did the same. Less than a year later, the company was in Chapter 11—one of
the biggest collapses ever and thus proved fraud. These accusations that led to new explanations
and theories which led to evidence and proof before the law finally intervened, influencing the
downfall of Enron, which therefore caused a paradigm shift to occur on many people worldwide on
private corporations and how those who believe profitability is the only important measure of
performance are harmful and not good for our society and it also relates to how greed drives us
human beings to do the worst things, and therefore it influenced both values and beliefs.
Object: Menstrual pads
For my second object, I decided to use ‘whisper’
pads to explain how new knowledge changes
established values and beliefs because objects like
menstrual pads, tampons are important for
menstrual hygiene. However, this has not always
been the case in the past. As earlier superstitious
practices attached to the menstruation and stigma
that is attached with women in the name of
tradition, for example, in Hinduism, a commonly
practices religion in India, a woman is considered
“dirty and impure” during menstruation. As a
result, different limitations apply depending on the
locality and denomination of Hinduism (for
instance, women are not permitted to enter a
temple if they are menstruating). New knowledge
can change our perceptions of things we did not
realize were detrimental, such as beliefs about
people on their periods being unclean are
widespread which often leads to women feeling
confined to their homes, being excluded from
public spaces, or considered to be bad luck to others for about a week every month; however, they
must be proven to be detrimental with evidence, which the society lacks because it is simply not
true. The inherent belief of women being secluded for those 5 days has been questioned and
because of these new explanations, evidence, and data, there is a paradigm shift occurring on the
idea of normalizing menstruation and how it breaks the taboo around menstrual health for women.
And it influences both values and beliefs.
Object: KFC Australian TV commercial

Finally for my third object, I looked at a video of a sexist Australian KFC TV commercial.

My favourite place to eat fast food is KFC. I grew up eating there with my family and friends, we
always loved visiting there because it's well-known and lots of people eat there and they think highly
of it. However, this commercial video has changed that positive opinion. To promote its Zinger
Popcorn Box, KFC aired a television commercial, but it sparked criticism due to sexism allegations. A
young lady standing there, wearing tiny shorts and a low-cut top, appears to be heading to a music
festival. When she notices a parked car with tinted windows, she adjusts her clothing and her
cleavage while admiring her reflection in the car's mirror-like windows. The window rolls down to
reveal two little boys with goofy smiles and an older woman, with a disapproving expression as she
adjusts her bosom. The lady “saves” herself from further embarrassment by saying “did someone
say KFC?” – a catchphrase that’s in the ad showing people using KFC to get out of awkward
situations. Women ’s groups condemned this advertisement as sexist, and several viewers who saw
it on social media have been highly offended, claiming that it may have reinforced harmful
"gendered stereotypes" and fostered negative attitudes toward women.

When a well-known fast-food chain like KFC gets involved in a scandal like this, people think about
their past actions and change their perspectives on them. Since many consumers would no longer
tolerate blatant sexism, advertisers who for years relied on objectifying women to sell items are
becoming more cautious about using that strategy. This has also changed the perspectives and
beliefs that advertisers once held about advertising strategies.
 Bibliography
https://cdn.jwplayer.com/previews/PdY3jsMc -(the kfc commercial)

Can new knowledge change establish values or beliefs? (coggle.it)

A Review of Enron: The Smartest Guys In The Room - Slimger

https://www.rightsofequality.com/menstruation-stigma-and-mental-health-a-silent-connection/