Why do postmodernists believe dominant groups influence accepted knowledge?

Postmodernists argue that accepted knowledge is not an objective reflection of reality but is instead a conceptual construct shaped by social practices and discourses. Because they believe that reality, knowledge, and values are relative to these discourses, they contend that the prevailing worldviews of any era are not necessarily justified by objective truth.12

Instead, postmodernists maintain that established discourses often reflect the interests, values, and power dynamics of dominant or elite groups. This perspective is influenced by several key ideas:13

• Power-Knowledge: Drawing on the work of Michel Foucault, some postmodernists argue that knowledge and power are inextricably entangled. What is accepted as "truth" in a given era is influenced by complex, subtle considerations of power that serve to maintain social institutions and discipline populations.14
• Ideological Hegemony: Some thinkers align with the view that the ruling ideas of an age are those of its ruling class, while others identify more specific forms of bias, such as gender-based privileging within scientific or linguistic institutions.1
• Marginalization: Because these dominant discourses are viewed as arbitrary, postmodernists argue they often function to impose conformity, thereby silencing, marginalizing, or oppressing alternative perspectives from nonelite groups.12

By exposing these connections, postmodernists seek to challenge what they perceive as unjust hegemony, advocating for the inclusion of diverse, equally valid perspectives.1