(De)Constructing Expertise In Turbulent Times

Much of the classic work in the sociology of professions concerns relatively closed or shielded labor markets, where well-defined professional groups exercise expert tasks with discretion and provide services to citizens and the state. Yet, late modernity has witnessed institutionalized expertise as increasingly contested and professional authority as more fragilized (Eyal 2019; Eyal and Medvetz 2023; Elmholdt et al. 2025). These dynamics can emerge, for instance, when expert advice is challenged and trust in experts is lost, when technological and organization changes reshape established jurisdictions, or when political interventions put experts under pressure. At the same time, expertise is developed and provided in new ways and arrangements. This includes the involvement by non-professional groups such as lay citizens, activists, counter-experts, neo-experts as well as technological developments, such as social media platforms, algorithms and artificial intelligence (Anteby and Iannucci 2025). Against this backdrop, the goal of this panel is to discuss instances of both constructing and deconstructing expert arrangements, reflecting on the fact that these processes are often linked but should not be approached as a zero-sum game. We also seek to compare different forms of (de)constructing expertise across fields such as health care, the economy, science, and education.