Leaping the Abyss: The Problematic Translation of Social Research Results into Policy Recommendations

Abstract

This article argues that translating social research findings into policy recommendations may pose a significant methodological and practical challenge. Due to the current emphasis on the ‘third mission’ of universities and the ‘relevance’ of scientific knowledge, it has become more common for sociologists to engage in projects that include the development of social-research-based recommendations. This article analyses empirically an example of such a project – an extensive, European Commission–funded study about the role of men in gender equality in Europe – and shows that developing recommendations may receive lower priority than producing findings, be unguided by any specific method or approach, and operate within an ‘aura of evidence’ rather than a ‘hierarchy of evidence’. Discouraging an all-too-easy criticism, this article argues for more reflection, frameworks, and methods that could support sociologists in the development of research-based guidelines for policies.