Negar Razavi is a political anthropologist. Her work brings a critical feminist lens to studying national security, expertise, gender, race, humanitarianism, and U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. Drawing on over two years of ethnographic research in Washington, D.C., Negar’s research specifically examines the role of policy experts and think tanks in shaping U.S. security policies towards Iran and Egypt.
In this episode, we discuss the importance of expertise, but also the need for diverse perspectives and voices in shaping policy. Negar encourages individuals to recognize their own expertise and contribute to the conversation, while also leaving themselves open to constructive critique to improve our collective knowledge and ability to tackle structural challenges of our time.
Key Takeaways:

The experts who shape U.S. security policies towards the Middle East are often individuals who understand how Washington works rather than deep-level regional experts.
Experts from the region need to create their own spaces and alliances to have a voice in shaping policies.
Expertise should be recognized at different levels, including personal experiences, in-depth research, and technical subject matter knowledge.
Individuals should contribute their expertise while remaining open to critique and review.

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