Silence and Voice

Alan Contreras, writing in the current issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education, raised the issue as to what makes a person an expert. Why do we always run to various people who have been deemed an expert or a spokesperson for some cause, and more importantly, how do people get recognized in this capacity. Education does not seem to be the clear answer, An example he gives is Noam Chomsky, who is deemed an expert in everything (especially in "world affairs and the human condition"). I can think of many others, such as Al Sharpton, Ed Koch, Michael Musto, and even Steve Jobs. They all have knowledge and experiences, but in some way they all manage to get in front of the cameras when there is a need.

Perhaps this is a symptom of the postmodern condition? I think of Lyotard's definition of postmodernity in his book The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge, as "incredulity toward metanarratives." What made somebody an expert before (such as lectures or degrees or education) may not hold the same weight now (with television, always-on technology, and blogs that allow anybody to publish to the world).

I wonder what this may mean for the future of higher education?

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