Autonomy and Interdependence: The Relationship of Experts and Laypeople in Science from a Sociological Perspective

Today the risks and uncertainties of scientific knowledge are much debated and science is criticized for its supposed inability to handle problems of the “real world”. In this context, we ask how lay knowledge can complement science. Focusing on healthcare projects, we show how laypeople cooperate with scientists to improve scientific knowledge. We conclude that while science remains logically autonomous, in a complex world it is simultaneously closely interlinked with lay knowledge.