ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the importance of public issues on the development of expertise on radicalisation and violent extremism. The analysis aims to understand the social form taken by this new network of actors that manage the production, transfer, and application of knowledge. Three main factors have been identified: (1) the role of political urgency linked to homegrown Islamist terrorism issue; (2) the strong political demand for knowledge and practices to prevent radicalisation and violent extremism; and (3) the relevance of the practical expertise in the field. The text emphasised the interdependence of expertise on radicalisation and extremism and addressed the maintenance of this new expertise over time, the difficulty in adopting a similar language, reaching for legitimacy, having access to resources, and engaging with public grievances while maintaining their own agenda. At the end, it will be argued that if the lack of certification in the field further complicates the definition of expertise, it could also increase the robustness of the network.
