Publication
'Expertise' in Elgar Encyclopedia of International Relations
In this chapter of the Elgar Encyclopedia of International Relations, Valentina Carraro explores how expertise is defined and contested in International Relations (IR).
- Author
- Valentina Carraro
- Date
- 13 March 2025
- Links
- Read the full chapter here (€)
Rather than being an absolute quality, expertise is understood as relational, depending on recognition by relevant audiences. Carraro traces how expert knowledge has long influenced global policymaking, from shaping diplomats’ beliefs to helping stabilise world order. She highlights how different scholars have approached the role of expert groups, with early studies focusing on the experts themselves, and more recent work examining how expert practices help define issues like climate or the economy as governable entities.
Drawing on thinkers like Foucault and Weber, the chapter shows how expertise can depoliticise sensitive issues, turning political debates into technical discussions. It also reveals how the selection of experts is often influenced by political motives, such as nationality or alignment with specific views. Ultimately, Carraro calls for a more nuanced view of expertise, acknowledging its complexity and the diversity of knowledge within expert groups.