Experts and Peripheries: Ongoing Research and Future Challenges

Area of Science:

• Sociology of Science and Technology
• Legal Studies
• European Studies

Background:

• Examines the activity of experts within criminal courts and advisory committees.
• Focuses on Spain and Greece as case studies within the European periphery.
• Investigates the governance of techno-sciences in societies with significant inequalities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide examples of expert roles in governing techno-sciences.
• To highlight tensions between local creative powers and the movement of expert knowledge.
• To advocate for comparative studies to refine the historical understanding of experts and expertise.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative analysis of expert activities in legal and advisory settings.
• Comparative case study approach focusing on Spain and Greece.
• Examination of knowledge transfer and its impact on techno-science governance.

Main Results:

• Experts play crucial roles in governing techno-sciences in the European periphery.
• Significant tensions exist between local contexts and the global flow of expert knowledge.
• Economic, political, and academic inequalities shape the movement and application of expertise.

Conclusions:

• Comparative studies of expert knowledge movements are essential for historical understanding.
• Understanding expert roles requires acknowledging global inequalities.
• The study contributes to the sociology of expertise in peripheral European societies.