10reasonswhyyouneedsocialscience

WeknowthatBritainssocialscientistsareworldleadersintheirfields,butwhydoweneed
them?Andiftheywerentaroundtoanalysewhatsgoingon,wouldyoumissthem?
AudreyOslersuggests10reasonswhyyouneedsocialscience:
1 Socialscientistshelpusimaginealternativefutures.Socialsciencecanopenup
debateandgiveusasayinshapingourcollectivefuture.Thesocialsciences
developedasafieldofstudyduringthenineteenthcentury.Socialsciencehelped
peopleunderstandtheconsequencesandapplicationofthenewtechnologiesofthe
age,suchassteampower.Thegrowthofrailwaysandfactoriesnotonlytransformed
theeconomyandtheworldofwork,butalsochangedforeverthewaypeople
organisedtheirfamilylivesandleisure.Todaynanotechnologyandadvancesin
medicalresearchwillhaveasignificantimpactonthewaywelive.Theypresentus
withabewilderingrangeofethical,legalandsocialissues.Butitisntenoughtorely
onthescientists.Wealsoneedsocialscientiststoanalyseandcritiquewhatsgoing
on.Thatwaywewillmakeinformedchoicesthatshapethefuture.
2 Socialsciencecanhelpusmakesenseofourfinances.Socialscienceisnotjust
importantforthefuturebutforwhatshappeningnow.Weallresentpayingto
withdrawourmoneyfromcashmachines.Chargescanamountto120peryear.
SocialscientistsworkingonbehalfoftheRunnymedeTrustfoundthatthisdoesnt
justthisdependonwherewelive,butthatblackandminorityethnicpeopleare
morelikelytoliveinareaswheretheyreforcedtopay.Thisputpressureonbanks
toensureweallhaveaccesstomachinesthatdontcharge.Arangeofsocial
scientistsnotjusteconomistsbutalsopsychologists,sociologistsandpolitical
scientists,forexamplecanhelpusunderstandtheeconomiccrisisandweighup
decisionswemakeforourselvesandthosewhichgovernmentsmakeonourbehalf.
Withoutthiskindofanalysiswemayfeellikepawnsinaglobalgameofchess.With
theknowledgeandunderstandingthatsocialscienceoffersus,wewillfeel
empoweredtoactforourselves,andtoinfluencedecisionsbeingmadeonour
behalf.

Socialscientistscontributetoourhealthandwellbeing.Fromsportssociologiststo
publichealthexperts,fromthoseinterpretingmedicalstatisticstothoseevaluating
policiesforourcareinoldage,socialscientistsareworkinghardtomakesurethat
ourhealth,leisureandsocialcareservicesworktobesteffect.Socialgeographersat
theUniversityofSheffield,forexample,haveshownthatthoseofuswhodont
followeatingadvicearenotsimplyweakwilledorignorant.Oureatinghabitsare
influencedbyawholerangeofcircumstances.Someapparentlyunhealthychoices
mayseemrational:ifthepersondoingtheshoppingknowsthatotherswillsimplynot
eatthehealthyoptionanditwilljustgotowaste,theymaysimplynotbuyit.Soits
nogoodjustgivingpeopleabookletonhealthyeating.Effectivenutritionaladvice
needstobetailoredtopeopleseverydaylivesandcontexts.

Socialsciencemightsaveyourlife.PsychologistsattheUniversityofLiverpoolspent
timeinasteelfactorytoworkoutwhatneedsdoingtocreateasaferenvironment.
Accidentsatworkhappeneveninthebestregulatedcompaniesthatprovidestaff
trainingandtakeallnecessaryprecautions.Atopdownimposedsafetyregimesimply
doesntwork.Itswhenpeopleseeunsafeworkpracticesasunacceptableandtake
decisionsasteamsthatworkplacesbecomesafer.Employersneedtoseepeopleas
individualswhotaketheirleadfromthosewithwhomtheyidentify.Theseprinciples
havealsobeenshowntoworkincrowdcontrol.Whenthoseresponsibleforcrowd
managementatfootballmatchesaretrainedintechniqueswhichtakethisinto
account,theresvirtuallynotrouble.

5 Socialsciencecanmakeyourneighbourhoodsafer.Onecommonmythisthatifyou
takemeasurestoreducecrimeinoneneighbourhoodthecriminalssimplymoveon,
leadingtoincreasedcrimeinanotherarea.SociologistsatNottinghamTrent
Universityworkedcloselywithpolicetoreducecrimethroughamethodinvolving
scanningforcrimepatterns.Theywereabletoidentifypatternsthatregularpolice
workhadnotpickedup,soavoidingguessworkandlosttime.Atechniquecalled
situationalcrimepreventiondevelopedbythesameteamisnowregularlyusedby
thepolice,workingwiththepublicandprivatesectorstopreventcrime.Together
theymakethingsmoredifficultforwouldbecriminals.Forexample,inonearea
therewasaseriousproblemofleadbeingstolenfromcommunitybuildingroofs.By

workingwithdealersinthescrapmetalmarket,andpersuadingthemtokeep
records,itthenbecametooriskytobuywhatmightbestolenlead.
6 Weneedsocialscientistsaspublicintellectuals.Britishsocietyissometimessaidto
beantiintellectual.Yetinourfastchangingworld,thereisaplaceforthesocial
scientistaspublicintellectual.Thisdoesnthavetobeasuccessionofboringgrey
talkingheads,suchasyoucanfindonFrenchTVanynight.Thatsenoughtocause
anyonetostartchannelsurfing.Socialscientistshaveadutytomaketheirwork
interestingandengagingtotherestofus.Theyneedtoexplainnotonlywhysocial
scienceisrelevantbutdoitinacompellingway.Thenwewillwanttolisten,readand
findoutmore.Perhapsmoresocialscientistswillhavetobecomeactivelisteners,
talkingmoreoftentothepublic,eachotherandtoscientists.Thenwecangetallthe
disciplinesaroundthetabletogether.Inaknowledgebasedworld,weneedpeople
whocanintegrateavarietyofdifferenttypesofknowledge,andthatcomefrom
differentintellectualrootsandfromarangeofinstitutionstoworktogether.
7 Socialsciencecanimproveourchildrenslivesandeducation.Allsocietiesandall
governmentswanttoshowtheyaredongthebestforchildren.Yettoooften
educationreformseemstotakeplacewithoutregardforthebestinterestsofthe
learners.Educationresearchshowsthatmanyparents,particularlyparentsof
youngerchildren,aremoreconcernedthattheirchildrenenjoyschool,thanthatthey
areacademicstars.Byworkingwithstudentsofallagestounderstandtheir
perspectivesonschooling,researchersattheuniversitiesofCambridgeandLeeds
havediscoverednewinsightsintowhatmakeseffectiveschools,andwhatmakesfor
effectiveschoolleadership.Wejustneedtolistentochildren,providestructured
opportunitiesforthemtogivetheirviews,andprepareadultstoreallylisten.Today
evenOFSTED,theschoolinspectionservice,hastolistentochildrensviewpoints.
8 Socialsciencecanchangetheworldforthebetter.Wecangenerallyagreethat
worldneedstobeasaferplacewhereallpeoplecanenjoybasicdignityandhuman
rights.Thisisthecaseevenwhenwecantalwaysagreeonwhatweshoulddoto
makethishappen.Socialscientistsworkingininterdisciplinaryteamshavemadetheir
markintheareaofhumanwelfareanddevelopment.Theyareconcernedwiththe
socialandeconomicadvancementofhumanityatlarge.Theyworkwithgovernment
institutions,UNorganisations,socialservices,fundingagencies,andwiththemedia.

Theyareinfluencingtheworkofstrategists,planners,teachersandprogramme
officersindevelopingandgrowingeconomies,likeIndia,toinfluencedevelopmentso
thatitimpactsonthelivesofthepoorestmembersofsociety.Forexample,social
scientistsfromtheDelhiSchoolofEconomicsarecooperatingwithcolleaguesat
SOAS,UniversityofLondontoexploretheimpactoflegislationinIndiatoguarantee
minimumwagesforruralunskilledmanuallabourersonthelovesofwomen.They
foundthenewlawprovidedopportunitiesforsomewomentobecomewageearners
wherenonehadexistedbefore,reducingtheriskofhungerandthechancesof
avoidinghazardouswork.Buttheyalsoidentifiedbarrierstowomenbenefittingfrom
thechanges,includingharassmentattheworksite.Thoseworkingindevelopment
studiesarethenabletosupportwomensabilitytobenefitbylookingforcreative
solutionstosuchproblems.
9 Socialsciencecanbroadenyourhorizons.Fordebatesaboutfeminism,peace,
ecology,socialmovements,andmuchmore,socialscienceofferseachofusnew
perspectivesandnewwaysofunderstanding.Whetheryourideaofrelaxationis
visitingamuseum,watchingsoaps,orchattingonline,socialscienceencouragesa
freshlookatoureverydayactivitiesandculture.SocialscientistsattheUniversityof
Leicesteraremakinganimpactonmuseumsacrosstheworld,withthegoalof
makingthemmoreinclusive,ablertochallengeprejudices,inspirelearningandbe
morerelevantincontemporarysociety.OneexampleistheirworkwiththeGalleryof
ModernArtinGlasgowtoinvolvelocalcommunitiesandinternationalvisitorsalikein
engagingwithexhibitionsonarangeofsocialjusticeissuesfromsectarianismtogay
rights,throughprogrammesincludingartsworkshopsandresidencies.
10 Weneedsocialsciencetoguaranteeourdemocracy.Socialscienceoffersmultiple
perspectivesonsociety,informssocialpolicyandsupportsusinholdingour
politiciansandourmediatoaccount.TheCentrefortheStudyofGlobalMediaand
DemocracyatGoldsmithsCollege,Londonismonitoringhowtransformationfrom
traditionaltodigitalmediaisexaminingthemoveawayfromtraditionaljournalism
andpoliticstowhereweascitizenstrytobecommunityjournalists,presentingour
ownaccountsonline.Theworkbringstogetherspecialistsinmediaand
communications,sociologyandpolitics.Individualcitizensmayfeelempoweredby
thisbuttherearerisksinturningawayfromtraditionaljournalism,includingfewer

opportunitiesforindepthanalysisandcritiqueofpowerfulinterests.Thisworkby
socialscientistsiscriticalinprotectingamodernandtransparentdemocracy.Just
thinkwhatmighthappenwithoutit!