{"id":1610,"date":"2017-10-13T07:00:23","date_gmt":"2017-10-13T12:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/trot\/?p=1610"},"modified":"2017-10-11T10:28:02","modified_gmt":"2017-10-11T15:28:02","slug":"sociological-gobbledygook-and-public-distrust-of-social-science-experts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/trot\/2017\/10\/13\/sociological-gobbledygook-and-public-distrust-of-social-science-experts\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Sociological Gobbledygook\u2019 and Public Distrust of Social Science Experts"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo by GotCredit, Flickr CC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In oral arguments during the Supreme Court\u2019s recent case about partisan gerrymandering in Wisconsin, political science research was presented to demonstrate the effects of redistricting plans on voting outcomes.<\/span>\u00a0In response,\u00a0Chief Justice John Roberts commented that he was wary of \u00a0\u201csociological gobbledygook,\u201d<\/a><\/span>\u00a0questioning the data presented. As public figures like Roberts question expert knowledge, social scientists are increasingly concerned<\/a> about public perceptions of social science research and maintaining trust between the academy, the government, and the public. Examining the relationship between experts and the public helps us understand the role of social science in the public sphere. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Some scholars have suggested that distrusting experts might be rooted in the American value of an open society that treats everyone equally. According to this explanation, people distrust social scientists \u2013and experts in general\u2013 because they believe these experts belong to a privileged and disconnected \u00a0\u201cintellectual class.\u201d<\/span><\/h5>\n