10 reasons why we need social science

Reproduced with kind permission from the Campaign for Social Science.
https://www.palgrave.com/gp/social-science-matters/10-reasons-for-social-science

We know that Britain’s social scientists are world leaders in their fields, but why do we need
them? And if they weren’t around to analyze what’s going on, would you miss them? Audrey
Osler suggests 10 reasons why you need social science:

1. Social scientists help us imagine alternative futures.

Social science can open up debate and give us a say in shaping our collective future. The
social sciences developed as a field of study during the nineteenth century. Social science helped
people understand the consequences and application of the new technologies of the age, such as
steam power.
The growth of railways and factories not only transformed the economy and the world of
work, but also changed forever the way people organised their family lives and leisure. Today
nanotechnology and advances in medical research will have a significant impact on the way we
live.
They present us with a bewildering range of ethical, legal and social issues. But it isn’t
enough to rely on the scientists. We also need social scientists to analyse and critique what’s
going on. That way we will make informed choices that shape the future.

The Proactionary Imperative: For more ideas on this topic Steve Fuller's books are a good place
to start.

2. Social science can help us make sense of our finances.

Social science is not just important for the future but for what’s happening now. We all
resent paying to withdraw our money from cash machines. Charges can amount to £120 per year.
Social scientists working on behalf of the Runnymede Trust found that this doesn’t just this
depend on where we live, but that black and minority ethnic people are more likely to live in
areas where they’re forced to pay.
This put pressure on banks to ensure we all have access to machines that don’t charge. A
range of social scientists – not just economists but also psychologists, sociologists and political
scientists, for example ‐ can help us understand the economic crisis and weigh up decisions we
make for ourselves and those which governments make on our behalf. Without this kind of
analysis we may feel like pawns in a global game of chess.
With the knowledge and understanding that social science offers us, we will feel
empowered to act for ourselves, and to influence decisions being made on our behalf.
Unequal Ageing in Europe: explores the gender pension gap across the 28 member states of the
European Union, plus Iceland and Norway

3. Social scientists contribute to our health and well‐being.

From sports sociologists to public health experts, from those interpreting medical
statistics to those evaluating policies for our care in old age, social scientists are working hard to
make sure that our health, leisure and social care services work to best effect.
Social geographers at the University of Sheffield, for example, have shown that those of
us who don’t follow eating advice are not simply weak‐willed or ignorant. Our eating habits are
influenced by a whole range of circumstances. Some apparently unhealthy choices may seem
rational: if the person doing the shopping knows that others will simply not eat the healthy option
and it will just go to waste, they may simply not buy it.
So it’s no good just giving people a booklet on healthy eating. Effective nutritional advice
needs to be tailored to people’s everyday lives and contexts.

Long-Term Care in Europe: analyzes the key issues at stake in developing long-term care
systems for older people in Europe.

4. Social science might save your life.

Psychologists at the University of Liverpool spent time in a steel factory to work out
what needs doing to create a safer environment. Accidents at work happen even in the best
regulated companies that provide staff training and take all necessary precautions.
A top‐down imposed safety regime simply doesn’t work. It’s when people see unsafe
work practices as unacceptable and take decisions as teams that workplaces become safer.
Employers need to see people as individuals who take their lead from those with whom they
identify. These principles have also been shown to work in crowd control.
When those responsible for crowd management at football matches are trained in techniques
which take this into account, there’s virtually no trouble.

Adjudicating Employment: Rights compares and analyses institutions for resolving employment
rights disputes in ten countries.

5. Social science can make your neighborhood safer.

One common myth is that if you take measures to reduce crime in one neighborhood the
criminals simply move on, leading to increased crime in another area. Sociologists at
Nottingham Trent University worked closely with police to reduce crime through a method
involving scanning for crime patterns.
 They were able to identify patterns that regular police work had not picked up, so
avoiding guess work and lost time. A technique called situational crime prevention developed by
the same team is now regularly used by the police, working with the public and private sectors to
prevent crime. Together they make things more difficult for would‐be criminals.
For example, in one area there was a serious problem of lead being stolen from
community building roofs. By working with dealers in the scrap metal market, and persuading
them to keep records, it then became too risky to buy what might be stolen lead.

The Handbook of Security, 2nd edition: is the most comprehensive analysis of scholarly security
debates and issues to date.

6. We need social scientists as public intellectuals.

British society is sometimes said to be anti‐intellectual. Yet in our fast changing world, there is a
place for the social scientist as public intellectual. This doesn’t have to be a succession of boring
grey talking heads, such as you can find on French TV any night. That’s enough to cause anyone
to start channel surfing. Social scientists have a duty to make their work interesting and engaging
to the rest of us.
They need to explain not only why social science is relevant but do it in a compelling way. Then
we will want to listen, read and find out more. Perhaps more social scientists will have to
become active listeners, talking more often to the public, each other and to scientists.
Then we can get all the disciplines around the table together. In a knowledge‐based world, we
need people who can integrate a variety of different types of knowledge, and that come from
different intellectual roots and from a range of institutions to work together.

The Price of Public Intellectuals: is an historically-informed survey critically outlining

sociological, psychological, political, and economic approaches to the role of public intellectuals.

7. Social science can improve our children’s lives and education.

All societies and all governments want to show they are doing the best for children. Yet
too often education reform seems to take place without regard for the best interests of the
learners. Education research shows that many parents, particularly parents of younger children,
are more concerned that their children enjoy school, than that they are academic stars.
By working with students of all ages to understand their perspectives on schooling,
researchers at the universities of Cambridge and Leeds have discovered new insights into what
makes effective schools, and what makes for effective school leadership.
We just need to listen to children, provide structured opportunities for them to give their
views, and prepare adults to really listen. Today even OFSTED, the school inspection service,
has to listen to children’s viewpoints.

Informal Education, Childhood and Youth: emphasizes how geography – space and place –
matter to informal education practices, through a range of examples.
8. Social science can change the world for the better.
We can generally agree that world needs to be a safer place where all people can enjoy
basic dignity and human rights. This is the case even when we can’t always agree on what we
should do to make this happen. Social scientists working in interdisciplinary teams have made
their mark in the area of human welfare and development.
They are concerned with the social and economic advancement of humanity at large.
They work with government institutions, UN organizations, social services, funding agencies,
and with the media.

They are influencing the work of strategists, planners, teachers and programme officers in
developing and growing economies, like India, to influence development so that it impacts on the
lives of the poorest members of society. For example, social scientists from the Delhi School of
Economics are cooperating with colleagues at SOAS, University of London to explore the
impact of legislation in India to guarantee minimum wages for rural unskilled manual labourers
on the loves of women.
They found the new law provided opportunities for some women to become wage earners
where none had existed before, reducing the risk of hunger and the chances of avoiding
hazardous work. But they also identified barriers to women benefitting from the changes,
including harassment at the worksite.
Those working in development studies are then able to support women’s ability to benefit
by looking for creative solutions to such problems.

Why the Social Sciences Matter: provides an illuminating look at topics of concern to everyone
at the beginning of the twenty-first century.

9. Social science can broaden your horizons.

For debates about feminism, peace, ecology, social movements, and much more, social
science offers each of us new perspectives and new ways of understanding. Whether your idea of
relaxation is visiting a museum, watching soaps, or chatting online, social science encourages a
fresh look at our everyday activities and culture.
Social scientists at the University of Leicester are making an impact on museums across
the world, with the goal of making them more inclusive, abler to challenge prejudices, inspire
learning and be more relevant in contemporary society.
One example is their work with the Gallery of Modern Art in Glasgow to involve local
communities and international visitors alike in engaging with exhibitions on a range of social
justice issues from sectarianism to gay rights, through programmes including arts workshops and
residencies.

Radical Feminism: is a radical and pioneering feminist manifesto for today's modern audience
written by one of the cornerstones of today's feminist scene.

10. We need social science to guarantee our democracy.

Social science offers multiple perspectives on society, informs social policy and supports
us in holding our politicians and our media to account.
The Centre for the Study of Global Media and Democracy at Goldsmith’s College,
London is monitoring how transformation from traditional to digital media is examining the
move away from traditional journalism and politics to where we as citizens try to be community
journalists, presenting our own accounts on‐line. The work brings together specialists in media
and communications, sociology and politics.
Individual citizens may feel empowered by this but there are risks in turning away from
traditional journalism, including fewer opportunities for in‐depth analysis and critique of
powerful interests. This work by social scientists is critical in protecting a modern and
transparent democracy. Just think what might happen without it!