Campaign for Social Science – författare

The social sciences play an essential role in harnessing the many opportunities and mitigating the numerous and varied challenges we face in our contemporary human world. This report explores this by outlining eight principles about the UK’s social science sector: 

The social sciences are the understanding of people, society, economy and places The UK is a social science powerhouse The social sciences bring economic value The social sciences serve society The social sciences facilitate innovation The social sciences improve people’s lives by guiding good decision-making Social science subjects are open and available to all Social science skills are valued by employers and lead to well-paid careers 

Each principle is set out in detail, along with supporting evidence and case studies, serving as a user-friendly reference for policymakers, academics and practitioners. 

Tackling infectious disease, understanding radicalisation, improving productivity, siting new airport capacity, getting people to save for retirement – nearly all the issues facing the UK now and in the near future demand the urgent attention of those trained to study human processes. In short, we need sharp social science now more than ever.

The Business of People looks at the backdrop to the UK elections taking place in May 2015 to argue that we need to invest in science and innovation – not just for the sake of ‘UK plc’ and prospects for growth and economic recovery, but to inform debate and policymaking on migration, housing, devolution of power within the UK, and the UK’s position in Europe.

The report sets out the need for new economic and social knowledge and illustrates the many ways in which social scientists are contributing to changing practice and deepening knowledge. It outlines the size and structure of UK social science, its contribution to GDP, how social science graduates are essential to the work of firms, government and the third sector.

The report ends with a set of recommendations for the next few years – urgent reading for the next government – on research funding, social science capacity and the use of expert advice by government.

As Britain ages amid austerity, more and more people will suffer from long-term health conditions.  Obesity and diabetes are on the rise.  Mental health problems are widespread.  Tobacco and addictions are well-known killers.  Each condition brings high costs, both financial and social.  Meanwhile, budgets for the NHS, social care and public health are being squeezed.  Despite this potential crisis, new opportunities are emerging to support both healthcare providers and the population.  Advances in understanding will change how behaviour can prevent and mitigate ill health.  Our approach to health must become more ‘social’.The Health of People – a report compiled by the Campaign for Social Sciences – investigates a range of ways to cut the cost of health interventions and to improve patient outcomes as well as ways of preventing people becoming patients.  The report includes arguments for and case studies in favour of a more rounded, social science informed view of health and wellbeing.  It concludes with an invitation to clinicians and policy makers to think outside the box of ‘care’ about the causes and prevention of ill health.

Almost four in ten graduates studied one of the social sciences. Where do they go to work? How do their employment and earnings compare to those who graduate from other areas? What makes a difference to their employment chances?  Positive Prospects provides a brief description of employment after graduation for those who study a wide range of social science subjects, using up-to-date information. The report gathers evidence from many sources about longer-term prospects and the backgrounds of ‘world leaders’.  It shows that there is variation between those graduating from different social science disciplines, as there is with so-called STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) graduates. Positive Prospects takes a look at the effect of graduating from different types of university, while observing that this reflects a great many factors such as students’ backgrounds and where they live and study. One clear theme is that having number and data skills – either from secondary school or as part of undergraduate study – is likely to give individuals of every discipline a wider range of choices about work, meaning they are likely to earn more. Needless to say number and data skills are not the only things that matter, nor do all social science students need the same skill level. But the Campaign for Social Science has long believed that we need more people with conceptual social science skills and knowledge combined with some number and data skills – Positive Prospects shows that this combination has clear benefits. The Campaign has also prepared summaries aimed specifically at undergraduates, schools, and school students.