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Recent Press Releases
10 February 2010
Willetts: Social scientists must collaborate with hard sciences to show value
The gauntlet was thrown down to the social science community yesterday in a packed out discussion in London. Increased collaboration with the hard sciences; using promotion and lay summaries; and playing an active role in educating the policy community were just some of the edicts presented by panellists including David Willetts MP and Tony Wright MP. They were presenting to a 200-strong group of social scientists; policy makers and government at the launch of the Academy of Social Sciences report, ‘Making the Case for the Social Sciences.’
With higher education funding under fire, speakers noted the critical timing for social scientists in getting the value of their work noticed. Commenting on the wealth of knowledge that the social sciences bring, Adrian Alsop, Director for Research at the Economic and Social Research Council noted that it is not fully appreciated how good the United Kingdom’s research base is on a global scale. Yet despite the contributions made, panellists agreed that there is much work to be done to demonstrate impact and value.
David Willets MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, said his basic message to the group was “if we don’t study our own society then who will?” He put forward the view that the social sciences must be studied rigorously alongside hard sciences, and that in many ways they complement each other. For example he noted on the nuclear power debate that it is not just the physics that is important but also people’s perceptions.
Dr Willetts also stressed the need for evidence-based research in influencing policy decisions. He also commented on the value of a rounded picture of research outcomes: while it was easy to support evidence-based policy when the results are positive, the decisions were harder when the evidence was negative. Yet negative results contribute just as much as positive ones and are just as important. He added, however, that it was unrealistic to hope for a purely evidence-based approach, as politicians could not wait for a critical mass of research to be reached.
Other speakers noted the difficulty in getting messages across to policy makers and government. Tony Wright MP noted that many social scientists are not into the business of writing for the real world. He encouraged the audience to think about who they are writing for, and how they write. Sunder Katwala, General Secretary, The Fabian Society added that social scientists need to champion the good use of their research, thinking about the communications environment now, which is much broader than just traditional media.
While there is more work to be done in bridging the communications gap between policy makers and social researchers, panellists and audience participants concurred a way to measure impact and value is crucial. Professor Cary Cooper, Chair of the Academy of Social Sciences (ACSS) noted that the social sciences are very much in the public eye, with front page headlines this week covering social science problems including childcare and parenting, ageing; and childhood obesity. ‘Making the Case for the Social Sciences’, the report the ACSS has produced sponsored by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) sets out some of the ways social scientists have made a contribution to these areas, and is just one strategy the ACSS are using to champion the value of the social sciences at this crucial time.
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Making the Case for the Social Sciences, a report by the Academy of Social Sciences, sponsored by the Economic and Social Research Council, was launched Wednesday 10 February 2010 at Sixty One Whitehall, London.
Speakers are the launch were Adrian Alsop, Director for Research, Economic and Social Research Council; Professor Cary Cooper CBE AcSS, Chair of the Academy of Social Sciences; Professor Ruth Lister CBE FBA AcSS; Professor Ann Buchanan AcSS; David Willetts MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills; Dr Tony Wright MP, Chair, Public Administration Select Committee; Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope, Liberal Democrat Spokesman for Work and Pensions, House of Lords ; Andrew Haldenby, Director, Reform and former head of the Political Section, Conservative Research Department; and Sunder Katwala, General Secretary, The Fabian Society and former leader writer on the Observer .
The report is free and available here.
A video of the discussion can be downloaded here shortly.
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5 November 2009
Academy calls on Government to rethink its ‘too narrow’ focus on natural sciences and engineering.
The Academy of Social Sciences, which is the voice of the social sciences in the UK, today called on the Government to rethink its plan to favour only the natural and medical sciences and engineering subjects [STEM] at universities and institutes of higher education with additional funding, as announced by Lord Mandelson (Higher Ambitions – The Future of Universities in a Knowledge Economy – speech to the House of Lords 3 November 2009), saying that its focus was too narrow.
Professor Cary Cooper, Chair of the Academy, and a leading expert on organisational health, said “Whilst the STEM subjects are vital to the continuing development of any successful modern economy, they cannot work alone. Any economy is the product of its people and understanding how society and individuals work and their attitudes and behaviours is key to the success of all its endeavours. The great challenges we face on climate change, sustainable development, social cohesion and personal well-being require the combined efforts and expertise of both the natural and social sciences. The developments in the natural sciences have to be conditioned by social acceptability, politically, culturally and individually, for them to be adopted and be made to work. Our ‘gross national wellbeing’ depends on natural science, medicine and the social sciences working together to deliver societal and economic benefits. Only by adopting this holistic approach will Government achieve its twin objectives of economic progress and social well-being. One without the other will undermine either economic growth or social well-being. I call on Government to rethink its funding allocations to ensure a much broader spread of financial support”.
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Notes to Editors
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The Academy of Social Sciences is the voice of the social sciences in the UK for the public benefit.
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The social sciences encompass all aspects of what it is to be socially human, ranging from the understanding of individual brain functions through to the issues of living together in communities and finally large scale social movements which affect the whole of society.
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There are currently 34 learned society members of the Academy and over 600 individual Academicians, as well as a number of Affiliate members.
