Since the beginning of the pandemic, a deepening crisis of trust in American institutions has become apparent. This phenomenon encompasses not only governmental bodies but also the fields of science, media, and expert systems more broadly. The Trust Collaboratory’s official launch event explores what has led to this seemingly unprecedented rise of mistrust. Our lineup of international speakers—social scientists, historians, and legal scholars—share the belief that mistrust in expertise represents a danger to democratic politics insofar as science and experts are integral to the checks and balances on which liberal democracies depend for their health and functioning.
The conference will provide a platform for examining how some of the processes that undermine expert authority, including the diversification and socialization of expertise, have also had the salutary effect of democratizing expertise. Our speakers will explore this tension between the erosion of democracy and the democratization of expertise, seeking to advance our understanding of the potential risks and opportunities this process has unleashed.
We invite scholars, students, and interested parties to join us in exploring these pressing issues and contributing to the ongoing conversation about the role of trust in democratic politics and expertise.
Schedule | Thursday, April 20, 2023
09:15 am - 09:30 am
Welcome & Opening Remarks
Gil Eyal | Columbia University
Thomas Medvetz | University of California, San Diego
09:30 am - 11:00 am
Democracy and Expertise
THE VALUE OF TRUTH: SCIENCE AS INSTITUTION AND INSPIRATION
Harry Collins | Cardiff University
Robert Evans | Cardiff University
CRISIS OF EXPERTISE? CRISIS OF DEMOCRACY?
COMMENTS ON A CURRENT DEBATE
Peter Weingart | Universität Bielefeld
THE RHETORICAL PRODUCTION OF DEMOCRATIC (IN)EXPERTISE: THE CASE OF MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING
E. Summerson Carr | University of Chicago
DISCUSSANT:
Pamela Smith | Columbia University
Objectivity and Trust
11:15 am - 01:00 pm
A REGULATORY STATE OF EXCEPTION: VACCINES, EMERGENCY, AND THE MANAGEMENT OF PUBLIC TRUST
Andrew Lakoff | University of Southern California
SOME UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF QUANTIFICATION
Theodore Porter | University of California, Los Angeles
EXPERTISE AND COMPLEX ORGANIZATIONS
Stephen Turner | University of South Florida
PUBLIC EXPERTISE IN TIMES OF CONSTITUTIONAL
FRAGILITY
Brice Laurent | Mines ParisTech
DISCUSSANT:
Alma Steingart | Columbia University
02:30 pm - 04:00 pm
Professions and the Media
THE POST-INDUSTRIAL LIMITS OF PROFESSIONALIZATION (AND THE MISTRUST OF EXPERTS)
Paul Starr | Princeton University
FROM MANAGING BUDGETS TO ANALYZING SCENARIOS: POWER AND KNOWLEDGE IN POLICY ANALYSIS
Frank Pasquale | Brooklyn Law School
MEDIA METACOMMENTARY AND THE INSTABILITY OF EXPERTISE
Eleanor Townsley | Mount Holyoke College
DISCUSSANT:
Diane Vaughan | Columbia University
This event received generous support from:
Location
Interchurch Center
Sockman Lounge (1st Floor)
61 Claremont Avenue
New York, NY 10115
Free and open to public
The TrustWorkers Exhibit Returns to Columbia!
For our launch event, we will bring back the TrustWorkers exhibit, our signature public trust initiative from 2022! The collection will be free to the public and situated within the conference venue.
Click below for more information about the exhibit.