Communication

Weekly Overview of Social Science News

January 26, 2014 1955

“The simplest explanation for ‘the curious absence of socially conservative economics’ the same reason that there aren’t many social conservatives in any academic field: Because social conservatism is considered uniquely socially disreputable in elite culture, in ways that libertarianism and economic conservatism are not.”

“Admittedly, NSF and NIH do both fund some HSS research, but the amounts involved are tiny compared with their STM expenditures – for example, just $250m or so of NSF’s $5.5bn research funds is spent on social, behavioral, and economic sciences. The only field receiving less funding is the US Arctic Research Commission!”

“‘The program suggested by our article would not fundamentally change the nature of social science,’ said David Laitin, a political science professor at Stanford University and a co-author of the article. ‘Rather, it would have small implications in the way we collect and report our data. It would also invite us to put more attention to the replication of well-known findings rather than investigations of new factors. But these small changes in our practices could have large effects in revising what we thought were well-established findings.'”

“[G Venkat Raman] expresses his disappointment in the overall decline in interest in social science amongst parents and schools. ‘We have not been able to generate a section of scholars to inspire youngsters to pursue social science for higher education. Schools too feel that having just one period a day for history and geography is more than enough. But what has surprised me is when students come up to me and admit that they did not know social science is such a beautiful subject,’ he says.

“’If you’re analyzing the phone book — or the 21st century version thereof — you shouldn’t have to consider it to be human subjects research,’ said Susan Fiske, a professor of psychology and public affairs at Princeton University, who led the committee.”

Senior Marketing Manager at SAGE, and editor of the SAGE Insight blog

View all posts by Lorna McConville

Related Articles

Pope Francis, Human Dignity, and the Right to Stay, Migrate and Return
International Debate
May 5, 2025

Pope Francis, Human Dignity, and the Right to Stay, Migrate and Return

Read Now
Mapping the Connections: Understanding the Network of Social Science Editors-in-Chief 
Communication
April 29, 2025

Mapping the Connections: Understanding the Network of Social Science Editors-in-Chief 

Read Now
Ready to Tackle Global Challenges? Apply to Attend Dubai Showcase
Infrastructure
April 17, 2025

Ready to Tackle Global Challenges? Apply to Attend Dubai Showcase

Read Now
The Academy and the Authoritarian: Stories from the 20th Century
International Debate
April 14, 2025

The Academy and the Authoritarian: Stories from the 20th Century

Read Now
How Can You Serve the Globe’s People If You Don’t Know How Many There Are?

How Can You Serve the Globe’s People If You Don’t Know How Many There Are?

Every day, decisions that affect our lives depend on knowing how many people live where. For example, how many vaccines are needed […]

Read Now
The End of the Free Trade Era?

The End of the Free Trade Era?

On April 2, United States President Donald Trump declared “liberation day,” unveiling a new tariff (tax on imported goods) regime that targets […]

Read Now
Migrant Deaths Along the US-Mexico Border: Causes, Counts, and What the Future May Hold

Migrant Deaths Along the US-Mexico Border: Causes, Counts, and What the Future May Hold

The Accounting for Migrant Deaths Working Group has a simple but ambitious goal – to ensure an accurate count of migrant deaths […]

Read Now
0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest


This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

0 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments