Broad concepts such as “the knowledge society” demonstrate the relevance of the topic, but also the need to study how the processes in which knowledge is created and used are organized, and to make the levels of analysis and frames of reference for doing this more tangible. More specifically, our interest lies in processes where knowledge is produced, spread, legitimized, categorized and applied in different settings such as decision-making, advice and strategy development, as well as evaluation of resources, performance and outcomes.

We ask questions like: How are competence and expertise formalized and codified into rules, standards, advice, strategies, rankings, quantifications and calculations, accounting systems, etc.? Who are the legitimate experts here? What are the disciplinary background underlying these experts? How does a particular expert or expertise become legitimate? How is it done, what types of actors do it, where does it occur, and to what end?

Within the theme we develop theories about organizing knowledge in relation to social theory of society as a whole.

Theme established 2011.

Photo: Juliana Wiklund