Sean Kershaw's Weblog
« MAP 150 begins to roll-out | Main | In praise of 2020 »
November 30, 2006
In defense of experts: quick ramblings...
The process of having to talk about MAP 150 is both lots of fun -- and incredibly educational for me.
One big mistake I've made in my Viewpoint and some early quotes is to wrongly attack "experts". The problem is NOT that experts are bad -- it's when we treat "experts" as if they aren't citizens -- when they don't have an obligation to apply that expertise in ways that solves broader public problems.
On any topic or situation some people obviously have more expertise than others, and in today's culture information and expertise are legitimately equated with power and authority. The problem comes when the information is disconnected from any obligation to apply this separating "citizens" from "experts":
- People with real expertise on a policy problem have an obligation to use that expertise in service of the common good -- to solve public problems.
- People who have less expertise and formal authority can't default to some romanticized notion of citizenship that implies they have more power than they actually have, but our public policy solutions still have to work in their lives, as well as recognize the policy choices that they can and do make everyday in the institutions where they spend time.
For example, both a district administrator and a student have expertise that is vital to improving educational outcomes in a school -- of setting educational policies. MAP 150 argues that without the student's wisdom and engagement, not much else will happen. And this student's voice is missing from policy conversations we're arguing.
However, the administrator obviously has a greater role in seeing that this knowledge and this policy is applied effectively in the district. They can't sit back and act like victims or disconnected experts.
Posted by Sean Kershaw at November 30, 2006 11:17 AM
Comments
have you read James Surowiecki's 'Wisdom of Crowds'? Its a whole book which has something to do with your post. You can see him talk here
Note from Sean: I have read it, and love it. I'd like to find a way to get him here to speak and talk with us.
Posted by: thomas saunders | December 6, 2006 1:05 PM