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10 November 2014: The positives of ignorance

Dr Linsey McGoey, of our Department of Sociology, was the keynote speaker last month at an event in France exploring ignorance and uncertainty in commercial and governmental organisations.

The seminar, which attracted researchers and policymakers, was organised by the Centre for Society and Development – which is part of the French National Institute for Agricultural Research – in collaboration with France Stratégie, a division of the Office of the Prime Minister.

Speaking after the event, Dr McGoey explained how: “Ignorance and uncertainty are often seen in general as solely negative phenomena, but actually often ignorance can be used in quite positive ways in different organisations.

“So the aim of this evening was to understand the ways that ignorance is not simply the mere opposite of knowledge or a inevitably negative asset.”

France Stratégie was first established in 2013 as an expert body offering expertise, strategy and foresight to the Prime Minister. The organization also serves as a tool for social dialogue and civic debate on environmental, economic, and governance issues.

Find out more in a France Stratégie video (in French).