Technical expertise, sustainability, and the politics of knowledge
(2009) p.38-59- Abstract
- The dominant role of technology in contemporary societies requires the public to rely on individuals with specialized knowledge to invent, design, manufacture and maintain increasingly complex artifacts and networks. As Stilgoe et al. (2006: 16) note, “Our everyday lives are played out through a series of technological and expert relationships.” In spite of the increasing reliance on technologies and technical expertise, there has been an erosion of trust between the public and technical experts since the 1970s as contemporary environmental, social, and economic problems have revealed the limitations and unintended consequences of scientific and technological development. Thus, the role of technical experts in contemporary society is in... (More)
- The dominant role of technology in contemporary societies requires the public to rely on individuals with specialized knowledge to invent, design, manufacture and maintain increasingly complex artifacts and networks. As Stilgoe et al. (2006: 16) note, “Our everyday lives are played out through a series of technological and expert relationships.” In spite of the increasing reliance on technologies and technical expertise, there has been an erosion of trust between the public and technical experts since the 1970s as contemporary environmental, social, and economic problems have revealed the limitations and unintended consequences of scientific and technological development. Thus, the role of technical experts in contemporary society is in flux. The emphasis in recent decades on creating more sustainable modes of life has only increased the tensions between scientific and technological development, environmental impacts, social conditions, and specialized knowledge. In this chapter, we draw on work from the fields of environmental sociology (Hajer 1995; Dryzek 1997; Hannigan 2006), political science and policy analysis (Fischer 1990; 2000; 2006; Irwin 1995; Bäckstrand 2003; 2004; Stilgoe et al. 2006), and Science and Technology Studies (Sclove 1992; 1995; Moore 2001; 2007; Brand 2005a) to explore the relationship between experts and non-experts in environmental and sustainable decision-making. These authors have examined how specialized knowledge of technical experts and the informal knowledge of non-experts has been expressed in environmental politics, policy debates, urban development, and other venues.2 Of particular interest is how experts from different disciplines interact with one another and the public they are ostensibly chartered to serve. We begin with an overview of the ascendancy of the technical expert in contemporary society and a summary of the critiques of expertise. We then provide a brief discussion of sustainability, with particular emphasis on how it differs from previous conceptualizations of environmental problems, and question how traditional models of expertise fit within this new paradigm. Finally, we present four models of expertise that have been applied since the 1980s to create more sustainable modes of human life and conclude with a discussion of the implications that sustainability has for technical experts in the future. (Less)
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- author
- Karvonen, Andrew LU and Brand, Ralf
- publishing date
- 2009
- type
- Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
- publication status
- published
- subject
- host publication
- Environmental Governance : Power and Knowledge in a Local-Global World - Power and Knowledge in a Local-Global World
- editor
- Kütting, Gabriele and Lipschutz, Ronnie
- pages
- 38 - 59
- publisher
- Routledge
- ISBN
- 9780415777131
- 9780415777124
- 9780203880104
- DOI
- 10.4324/9780203880104
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- no
- id
- a9fa0e0d-65fc-474f-82c1-6b3ed3d414be
- date added to LUP
- 2022-01-07 13:56:55
- date last changed
- 2022-01-14 15:02:55
@inbook{a9fa0e0d-65fc-474f-82c1-6b3ed3d414be,
abstract = {{The dominant role of technology in contemporary societies requires the public to rely on individuals with specialized knowledge to invent, design, manufacture and maintain increasingly complex artifacts and networks. As Stilgoe et al. (2006: 16) note, “Our everyday lives are played out through a series of technological and expert relationships.” In spite of the increasing reliance on technologies and technical expertise, there has been an erosion of trust between the public and technical experts since the 1970s as contemporary environmental, social, and economic problems have revealed the limitations and unintended consequences of scientific and technological development. Thus, the role of technical experts in contemporary society is in flux. The emphasis in recent decades on creating more sustainable modes of life has only increased the tensions between scientific and technological development, environmental impacts, social conditions, and specialized knowledge. In this chapter, we draw on work from the fields of environmental sociology (Hajer 1995; Dryzek 1997; Hannigan 2006), political science and policy analysis (Fischer 1990; 2000; 2006; Irwin 1995; Bäckstrand 2003; 2004; Stilgoe et al. 2006), and Science and Technology Studies (Sclove 1992; 1995; Moore 2001; 2007; Brand 2005a) to explore the relationship between experts and non-experts in environmental and sustainable decision-making. These authors have examined how specialized knowledge of technical experts and the informal knowledge of non-experts has been expressed in environmental politics, policy debates, urban development, and other venues.2 Of particular interest is how experts from different disciplines interact with one another and the public they are ostensibly chartered to serve. We begin with an overview of the ascendancy of the technical expert in contemporary society and a summary of the critiques of expertise. We then provide a brief discussion of sustainability, with particular emphasis on how it differs from previous conceptualizations of environmental problems, and question how traditional models of expertise fit within this new paradigm. Finally, we present four models of expertise that have been applied since the 1980s to create more sustainable modes of human life and conclude with a discussion of the implications that sustainability has for technical experts in the future.}},
author = {{Karvonen, Andrew and Brand, Ralf}},
booktitle = {{Environmental Governance : Power and Knowledge in a Local-Global World}},
editor = {{Kütting, Gabriele and Lipschutz, Ronnie}},
isbn = {{9780415777131}},
language = {{eng}},
pages = {{38--59}},
publisher = {{Routledge}},
title = {{Technical expertise, sustainability, and the politics of knowledge}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9780203880104}},
doi = {{10.4324/9780203880104}},
year = {{2009}},
}