Between denialism and disdain: disqualifying citizen knowledge in a debate on gene editing

Introduction:  The epistemic crisis of democracy is commonly associated with anti-intellectual denialism, but its inverse has received far less attention: the disdain for ordinary knowledge, including knowledge generated through structured participatory processes. This article examines this dimension through the participation of an Indigenous woman representing a citizens' assembly in a Federal Senate public hearing on the regulation of CRISPR gene-editing technology.

Materials and methods:  The analysis focuses on a public hearing held in February 2024 in the Brazilian Federal Senate, drawing on direct observation, transcripts of the proceedings, and interviews with participants in the Brazilian Citizens' Assembly on Gene Editing. The material was analyzed using a dramaturgical framework, operationalized through the dimensions of scripting, setting, staging, and performance, and supplemented by the concept of boundary work.

Results:  Three mechanisms of disdain were identified: procedural mechanisms (mandatory online participation and a speaking order that disadvantaged the citizen representative), infantilization (imperatives, sarcasm, and authoritative posturing), and endorsement (the session chair's validation of the citizen voice as illegitimate). Boundary work underpinned the disqualification of the participant's contributions.

Discussion:  The findings suggest that the epistemic crisis extends beyond anti-scientific denialism. The disdain for ordinary knowledge, including that produced in participatory settings, constitutes an equally corrosive force. Paradoxically, forms of boundary work intended to defend science may sow the conditions for the very denialism they seek to prevent. This case study highlights the vulnerability of citizens' assemblies in the absence of institutional safeguards capable of addressing power asymmetries within formal deliberative arenas.

Keywords
epistemic crisis; deliberative democracy; boundary work; citizens'; assembly; dramaturgical analysis