The practice of valuing and trusting knowledge claims from marginalized producers, workers, and communities about their own labor, conditions, and needs.
Sor Juana fought against epistemic injustice—the systematic dismissal of her knowledge and voice based on gender and status. In ethical consumption, this concept translates to believing workers, artisans, and community members about their own circumstances. Corporations and wealthy nations often claim to know what is best for developing economies, imposing solutions that serve their interests. True ethical consumption means centering the knowledge and testimony of those affected: workers describing their conditions, Indigenous peoples articulating their environmental needs, farmers explaining sustainable practices. By valuing these voices as valid sources of truth, we honor both human dignity and practical wisdom. Sor Juana's intellectual authority was rooted in rigorous thinking and lived experience; we must extend similar epistemic respect to all knowledge-makers, transforming consumption through genuine listening.
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