to promote excellence in and encourage the advancement of the social sciences in the United Kingdom through research, education and service to the community;

to support its constituent Learned Societies and to encourage collaboration to promote interdisciplinary approaches to social science

to represent, in conjunction with the constituent Learned Societies, the interests of the social sciences in the United Kingdom to

• national and local government,
• research, teaching and funding bodies and agencies
• private sector companies
• public sector agencies

to comment as appropriate on national needs and priorities in the social sciences.

to encourage international co-operation in the advancement of the social sciences

to disseminate information about the social sciences and what they contribute to Society, to the general public and to educational institutions;

to recognise and celebrate outstanding contributions of individual social scientists;