Problematizing the distinction between expert and lay knowledge

Public policy issues with technical dimensions present a special problem for democracy. As public issues they should receive the attention of all affected stakeholders, but as technical issues they are typically addressed through the narrow perspective of expertise. This essay argues that a reified distinction between “expert” and “lay” knowledge contributes to this problem, with implications both for democracy and for the quality of technical decisions. Integrating perspectives from communication theory with work in sociology and policy studies, the essay reexamines the expert/lay distinction and suggests a more dialogical, rather than dichotomous, model for the relationship between expert and lay knowledge. Two brief empirical examples, drawn from settings where lay citizens and technical specialists have collaborated closely, illustrate and ground the theoretical argument.