The Politics of Expertise

Political conflicts are often bound up with debates about expertise: What kinds of expertise apply in a given situation? Who has it? And why should we trust them? The first part of this course introduces various perspectives in the sociology of expertise, and the second part examines expertise in different settings, including social movements, public opinion, and bureaucracies. Along the way, we will discuss the role of expertise in domains including environmental justice, climate change, public health, and economic policy. This course will help students understand the role of experts in politics and become savvier consumers of expert knowledge.