Focusing on the influence of academic social science, this book explores its effects on various sectors, including government, public policy, commerce, and community engagement. It offers a comprehensive analysis of how social science research shapes societal dynamics and informs decision-making processes across different fields, highlighting its relevance and importance in contemporary discussions.
In the modern globalized world, some estimates suggest that around 40 million people now work in jobs that ‘translate’ or mediate advances in social science research for use in business, government and public agencies, health care systems, and civil society organizations. Many large corporations and organizations across these sectors in the United States are increasingly prioritizing access to social science knowledge. Yet the impacts of university social science continue to be fiercely disputed. This key study demonstrates the essential role of university social science in the ‘human-dominated’ and ‘human-influenced’ systems now central to our civilization. It focuses empirically on Britain, the second most influential country for social science research after the US. Using in-depth research the authors show how the growth of a services economy, and the success of previous scientific interventions, mean that key areas of advance for corporations, public policy-makers and citizens alike now depend on our ability to understand our complex societies and economies. This is a landmark study in the evidence-based analysis of social science impacts. Foreword in the US edition "The Impact of the Social Sciences in the UK – A View from the US" is by Kenneth Prewitt, Columbia University.
