Expertise

How do these items question the credibility of expert sources?

The term "expertise" is frequently used in order to refer to a specialist knowledge and skill in a particular field. Expertise results from training and experience in that field.

Item A: In a way this item shows how expertise fails towards a society. Item A focus on the medicine field and claims their unsuccessful attempts to diagnose and find a cure for a problem the majority faces. The text states how doctors treat the individual and do not focus on the wider community, it shows the effectiveness of doctors to find and change the causes of illnesses, which appear mainly due to bad working conditions or poor hygiene. Therefore the credibility of experts sources is questioned, expertise is seen as harmful.

Item C: In this case, the text portrays how expertise created a misjudgement towards a situation which was not a medical disorder nor a health problem. Long time ago, slaves were associated with having a specific illness called Drapetomania, one that made them want freedom and independence. Item C shows the incorrect judgements experts came up with and it is also linked with changing expertise.

Item D: This item shows how experts in the medicine field misdiagnose, expertise is seen as harmful once more due to the fact professionals associated homosexuality as an terrible illness which needed a cure. Expertise and its credibility are questioned once more because of the misjudgments and prejudice towards a group of people, and the harm homosexuales faced. Moreover this situation was based on changing expertise, nowadays almost the whole population accepts homosexuality so experts tried to fit on the new values.