How Young People Can “Democratize Expertise”
In times of uncertainty we look to experts–usually those with a certain level of education and experience–to guide us and reassure us. However, as Noreena Hertz points out in her TED talk our reliance on experts often leads to hero worship and blind following, and, most importantly, the inability for us to recognize our own expertise and the expertise of people who dont have a special title:
This is not to say that there is no place for experts in our conversations. There is value in having a focus on a particular area and being able to share that knowledge in a useful way. What Hertz shares that I think is incredibly useful is our reliance on experts without being critical and ignoring the expertise that we already have. According to Hertz, we need to democratize expertise instead of believing it can be obtained by a privileged few.
Social media has definitely made it easier to democratize expertise in that we can now research, challenge, connect, and become experts given the volume of information and people that are accessible. However, I think we still tend to ignore how in the pursuit of becoming an expert we may limit our ability to acknowledge and support varying types of expertise by not challenging ourselves, by limiting our connection with people who are different from us, and by not engaging in what it means to be an expert in the first place.
So as young people are encouraged to brand themselves as experts, how can we be sure not to fall into the same habits that make expertise so inaccessible?
1. Actively encourage and participate in “spaces of dissent”: A powerful phrase and approach by Hertz, we have to ask ourselves: Are we being sure to expose ourselves to ideas that are different from ours? We’ve been celebrated at the most diverse generation–how does this translate into active engagement with the diversity that exists? Being able to support differing views instead of ignoring them not only makes you smarter but it also allows genuine conversation to flourish.
2. Acknowledge and support different forms of leadership: A few weeks ago Rosetta Thurman wrote about you dont need a college degree (or any fancy credential) to lead or make a difference. However, you wouldn’t know that based on our selection of leaders. In redefining leadership we expand our definition of expertise; we realize that people are experts and leaders in various ways beyond a certain credential. So rather than focusing on the credential you lack, develop and strengthen the skills that you have that allow you to contribute to your cause or field in a useful way.
3. Admit when mistakes and ask for correction: Part of making expertise accessible and rooted in reality is the admission of when mistakes are made. Being humble and asking for support goes a long way in demonstrating trust in other people’s ideas and recognizing the limitations of your own work.
What do you think? Do we need to rethink how we define and engage experts?
excellent points! Our over-reliance on traditional leaders and experts will not help us solve our 21st century challenges. I would add the point of being part of a deliberative and challenging community of thinkers. Best if that community is diverse in experiences and domains. This aspect can give new generations of leaders an expertise advantage.
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ajlovesya Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 12:16 pm
I love your emphasis on being part of a community of thoughtful and challenging thinkers. It’s really hard, I think, to participate in such groups, especially if folks arrive with different experiences and views than you. But in the end they make us smarter and stronger. How can we connect more with others in a meaningful way?
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Allison, good thoughts. If I could add #4, it would be “Realize that expertise can’t be rushed”. While there are plenty of young people who know more than their peers about a particular topic, that hardly qualifies as expertise (even though our friends might think otherwise).
Real expertise comes out of a wealth of experiences, coupled with the time spent in reflection and reaction. Young people like us should certainly make every effort to find these opportunities, but we should also realize that there’s a meaningful difference between 5-7 years of studying an area (like must of us under 30), and someone who’s devoted most of their life to a topic (like Dr. Paul Farmer, for example).
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ajlovesya Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 12:15 pm
I agree that there is meaningful difference. However the concern is that when we rely on one person because they have achieved a certain position/stature we are more likely to make mistakes. Excellence is rarely just because of one person–progress is the sum of many actions. The example of Best Buy asking ALL employees to weigh in on a product or project exemplifies how important it is to recognize that having expertise in A may not make you qualified to speak on B and that expertise is demonstrated and acquired in a variety of ways. In our attempts to “change the world” how many of us cling to hierarchical, top down notions of making decisions that are inherently exclusive?
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I think my #4 would be to be provide opportunity. I think that the last generation found ways to connect directly to those who needed help – but they lacked the ability to make other people feel that they, too, could be directly connected. It’s been my goal to be the person bridging the gap – here, let’s talk about exactly what women you’re helping if you partner with us, and exactly where your money is going, and exactly how you, too, could get involved with this work. I think that our generation has the capacity to make the field feel smaller, more accessible.
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ajlovesya Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 12:18 pm
I LOVE that point of increasing access and opportunity. Part of creating more access is embracing transparency and being willing to answer some of those hard questions that you listed. Yet by decreasing barriers we inevitably increase communication and interest.
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How Young People Can Democratize Expertise http://t.co/Ymz8j0dO #in #praxis
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