Social Science Insights On Eight Key Policy Challenges
2024 has been a year of change, elections and political upheaval throughout the world. The UK General Election is just one of many prompts for analysis about the collective challenges we face and how best to address them. In these key moments, social scientists play an important role as part of wider multidisciplinary efforts to identify ......
The Essential Role of the Social Sciences in the UK Private Sector
Social science knowledge and skills are essential to business operations and development in a wide range of business sectors in the UK, according to a new report by the Campaign for Social Science and SAGE Publishing. Based on in-depth interviews with business leaders at Cisco, Deloitte, Royal Dutch Shell, Willis-Re, WSP and more, the report's findings reveal that employees with social science training are often the operational enablers keeping businesses afloat - HR, accounting, finance, marketing and legal - and play key roles in facilitating and increasing business growth, product development, risk management and strategic planning. As the need for a post-pandemic economic recovery strategy becomes ever more urgent, and as government considers future and higher education, insights from Vital Business: The Essential Role of Social Sciences in the UK Private Sector are both timely and apt. Above all, the report demonstrates that social science subjects are vital for business and should be both welcomed and supported by government in the education system at school and university, alongside STEM disciplines, as essential to the workforce of today and tomorrow.
Careers for social science graduates and why number and data skills matter
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.
How the social sciences can improve population health
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.
The significance of social science over the next decade
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.
