Social Scientific Understanding Research Articles

Combining the strengths of Dutch survey and register data in a data challenge to predict fertility (PreFer)

AbstractThe social sciences have produced an impressive body of research on determinants of fertility outcomes, or whether and when people have children. However, the strength of these determinants and underlying theories are rarely evaluated on their predictive ability on new data. This prevents us from systematically comparing studies, hindering the evaluation and accumulation of knowledge. In this paper, we present two datasets which can be used to study the predictability of fertility outcomes in the Netherlands. One dataset is based on the LISS panel, a longitudinal survey which includes thousands of variables on a wide range of topics, including individual preferences and values. The other is based on the Dutch register data which lacks attitudinal data but includes detailed information about the life courses of millions of Dutch residents. We provide information about the datasets and the samples, and describe the fertility outcome of interest. We also introduce the fertility prediction data challenge PreFer which is based on these datasets and will start in Spring 2024. We outline the ways in which measuring the predictability of fertility outcomes using these datasets and combining their strengths in the data challenge can advance our understanding of fertility behaviour and computational social science. We further provide details for participants on how to take part in the data challenge.

Examining Normative Sociology and Phronetic Social Science in the Light of Practical Reason

Normative sociology and phronetic social science are research programmes that aim to overcome the dead end of positivism and the obfuscating effects of cryptonormativity, promising renewed social science disciplines that engage normatively with the public. In this article, I aim to deepen our understanding of social science’s (re)turn to normativity by examining how the disciplinary aims of such programmes fare against their conception of practical reason. I consider Tariq Modood’s presentation of the Bristol School of Multiculturalism as a form of normative sociology and begin from its understanding of practical reason after Michael Oakeshott, before specifying Modood’s recommendations, also with reference to other prominent versions of normative sociology. I then show that Bent Flyvbjerg’s phronetic social science, an Aristotle-inspired programme that has received widespread attention, is a particularly useful object of comparison: it bears high proximity to the Bristol School of Multiculturalism by being contextualist, dialogical, and prising public engagement. Most importantly, it too espouses antirationalist arguments via the emphasis it places on the Aristotelian notion of phronesis (practical wisdom). I argue that Oakeshott’s and Aristotle’s insights on the character and growth of practical reason both clarify and problematize the disciplinary aims of normative sociology and phronetic social science. Thus, to develop and defend normative social science, it is necessary to address a host of resulting challenges, most centrally the following: phronesis as an intellectual virtue based on one’s disposition, character, and experience largely eludes disciplinary-level training of the kind that social scientists and political theorists have received, exercise, or provide to students.

Social Studies Learning Disciplinary Strategies in Elementary Schools

The purpose of writing this article is to understand the description of social studies learning discipline and strategies for creating social studies learning discipline in the school environment. The method used in this research is descriptive qualitative. Data was collected through interviews, observations and conclusions. Meanwhile, data analysis is carried out by reduction, interpretation and drawing conclusions. The research results show that in implementing social studies discipline learning strategies at SDN 1 Tonroge Sidrap, what is effective is not only about providing knowledge, but also creating learning experiences that are motivating and relevant for children. With a creative and engaging approach, we can help form a solid foundation for students' understanding and interest in Social Sciences

An Analysis of Political Ethics from the Perspective of Muhammad Arkoun

<em><em>This study is grounded in the profound need to comprehend the role of Mohammed Arkoun, a postmodern/contemporary scholar, in revitalizing the potential of Islamic thought in the 21st century. The article underscores Arkoun's significance as an Islamic philosopher who successfully integrates the "authenticity of Islam" with a broad understanding of contemporary social sciences, giving rise to the concept of Applied Islamology. With a life background immersed in two traditions, Islam (Algeria) and France (the West), Arkoun endeavors to reconcile various aspects of life from both civilizations.The research methodology employs descriptive, historical, comparative, and synthetic analysis approaches. Data collection involves extensive literature research on Arkoun's works, both his writings and relevant contributions from other authors. Based on a philosophical-critical examination of the data, it is concluded that Arkoun plays a significant role in shaping an inclusive study of Islam for the future. The findings offer profound insights into Arkoun's contribution to connecting and harmonizing Islamic thought with contemporary social sciences.</em></em>

Temporalities of peer support: the role of digital platforms in the ‘living presents’ of mental ill-health

ABSTRACT This paper considers matters of time in online mental health peer support. Significant evidence of the value of peer support exists, with new digital platforms emerging as part of the digitisation of mental health support. This paper draws from a project exploring the impact of digital platforms on peer support through interviews with users of a major UK-based online peer support platform. Drawing on Gilles Deleuze’s concept of the ‘living present’, the paper highlights how notions of past, present and future operate as co-existing dimensions of the present. The analysis highlights how the immediacy of digital platforms elicits expectations of peer support being ‘on tap’, which creates challenges when support is not received synchronously. Unlike in-person support, digital platforms facilitate the archiving of support, which can (re)enter the present at any moment through asynchronous communication. Anticipations of the future feature as dimensions of the present in terms of feelings regarding when support may no longer be needed. The paper offers potential implications for social scientific understanding of digital peer support, which include valuable insight for mental health services designing and delivering digital peer support.

Sismondi's principles of liberty and economic progress

AbstractThe Swiss‐born liberal thinker Jean‐Charles‐Léonard Simonde de Sismondi (1773–1842) rejected metaphysical systems of thought in favour of historical and social analysis. However, in his mature writings, he offered an organising, although a never explicit, set of principles guiding his political and economic disquisitions. I identify Sismondi's essential principles of social study, namely, the effect of political organisation on the character of the people, the need for a ‘national reason’, along with the weight of tradition over individual representation. Subordinate principles of liberty are examined, such as respect for minorities, freedom of public debate, and engagement in local affairs. I argue that, when the political idea of a slowly matured national reason guiding the constitutional progress of liberty is applied to a rapidly changing economic domain, tension is created within Sismondi's understanding of social sciences.

Nur Vergin’in Din Sosyolojisi

Nur Vergin has left an important legacy of thought on behalf of the social sciences literature of our country with her works based on her academic and intellectual background. A rough overview of the content of this legacy reveals a wide range of ideas produced under the headings of politics-religion relationship, urbanization and political attitudes, social change and family, civil society, secularism, political system debates, etc. Vergin's ideas in the field of sociology of politics and religion are particularly prominent aspects of this legacy. Analyzing Vergin's legacy from different perspectives in various areas of sociology will provide essential gains for the social sciences literature of our country. In this respect, the subject of this study is Vergin's ideas in the sociology of religion. The main problem of the study can be summarized with the following question: "What are Nur Vergin's thoughts on the relationship between religion, politics, and society, and what is the place of these thoughts in the Turkish sociological tradition?". My study aims to address the ideas on the relationship between religion, politics, and society in Vergin's works from the perspective of the sociology of religion and to pave the way for new studies and discussions on her works. The importance of the study is that it will be a pioneering work in this field due to the limited number of studies on Nur Vergin's works and will pave the way for new discussions on his thoughts. A qualitative research method was used in this study. Therefore, qualitative data collection techniques were utilized. The data obtained were analyzed and evaluated descriptively and in terms of content. First, Vergin's life, works, cultural and intellectual background, social science understanding, and methodology are discussed. Afterward, the studies produced by Vergin within the scope of the sociology of religion were analyzed. With this study, it is understood that Nur Vergin aims to analyze social phenomena at the macro level by following the course of historical change within historical integrity and without ignoring the relationality between them. In this respect, it has been observed that Vergin analyzes issues such as secularism, Alevism, the relationship between religion and social change, etc., which are the subjects of her sociology of religion studies, with a long-term approach, in the plan of historical continuity and parallel with the verstéhenian tradition. In this respect, Vergin's approach to the phenomenon of religion is within the framework of the new axis, which constitutes an alternative to the evolutionary positivist approach, which was the dominant paradigm in the Turkish sociological tradition in the 1970s and 80s, and which manifested itself in names such as Şerif Mardin and Nilüfer Göle. * This paper is based on the master's thesis study titled "Nur Vergin's Sociology of Religion" conducted under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Celaleddin Çelik at Erciyes University Institute of Social Sciences, Department of Sociology of Religion.

ANALISIS PEMAHAMAN KERAGAMAN SUKU BANGSA DI NEGERIKU MELALUI MEDIA PETA PADA SISWA KELAS IV SD NEGERI 14 TANJUNG BATU

The purpose of this study was to analyze the level of understanding of ethnic diversity in my country through the media of maps in grade IV students at SD Negeri 14 Tanjung Batu. The main object or informant in this study was the teacher at SD Negeri 14 Tanjung Batu while the students were the key informants. The research method used in this study is a qualitative descriptive method. Data collection techniques include interviews, tests and documentation, while data analysis techniques include data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The results of the research on understanding IPS, interpreting, exemplifying, classifying, drawing inferences, dissecting and explaining that it can be seen that in the very good category there are 12 students, in the good category there are 8 students and in the sufficient category there are 3 students so that the level of understanding of Social Sciences with an average value 78 is included in the good category. From the results of the data analysis above, it can be concluded that the level of understanding of the subject matter of ethnic diversity in my country through the media of maps in grade IV SD Negeri 14 Tanjung Batu is good.

Race/ethnicity, negative peer support, and polyvictimization among college women

Advances in social scientific understandings of female racial/ethnic minority college students’ experiences of woman abuse have not kept pace with the amount of theoretical and empirical work on the plight of their White counterparts. What is especially needed is a study that examines racial/ethnic variations in negative peer support for various types of victimization in institutions of higher learning. Using the Campus Quality of Life Survey, results show (1) no significant differences between White and racial/ethnic minority women students in polyvictimization within types of abuse (i.e., stalking, harassment, sexual assault, and intimate partner violence), but some differences in overall rates of victimization and polyvictimization, and (2) negative peer support is strongly related to woman abuse and polyvictimization. Implications are discussed.

‘People of Color’ as a category and identity in the United States

ABSTRACT Although the category ‘people of color’ has not been adopted by the U. S. Census, it has assumed critical importance in public and social-scientific understanding of population change. But do Americans understand it as a neutral demographic category or a political identity? We provide the first U.S. national estimates for self-identification as a person of color (PoC ID). We also measure dissonance between individuals’ self-identification and the reflected appraisals of others, as well as where Americans draw the boundaries around PoC. PoC ID ranges from 95% among Blacks to 61% among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and 45% among Hispanics. Liberalism significantly increases PoC ID among AAPI, while conservatism reduces PoC ID among Hispanics, but political ideology is unassociated with PoC ID among Blacks. Stronger ethnic group consciousness raises PoC ID among all three groups. Demographic factors (particularly gender, age, and nativity) also influence PoC ID and PoC ID dissonance, but effects vary sharply in direction and significance from one group to another. Our estimate that only 27% of American adults self-identify as PoC suggests caution in assuming that growing populations of Hispanics and Asians will necessarily lead to a national majority who see themselves as people of color.

The Fundamental Principles of Social Sciences

This paper provides an overview of the fundamental principles of social sciences, encompassing a wide range of academic disciplines dedicated to studying human society and human relationships. Drawing from the author’s understanding of social sciences, it offers a comprehensive examination of key concepts and highlights the significance of social science theories and practices. The paper begins by elucidating the definitions of social sciences, emphasizing their interdisciplinary nature and their focus on understanding societal dynamics. It explores the contributions of major thinkers in the field of social sciences, showcasing their intellectual impact and influential ideas. Furthermore, it presents a selection of notable social science thinkers from the 21st century, illustrating the ongoing evolution of the discipline. A core aspect of the paper focuses on the significant role of social scientists in contributing to societal development. It explores their diverse areas of expertise and the application of their research findings to address social issues and shape public policies. Additionally, the paper delves into the main theories and theoretical developments within social sciences, including the theory of governance, governmentality, network theory, and environmentalism. It specifically addresses the intersection of social sciences with climate change, highlighting the unique challenges and perspectives offered by this field. Sustainable development emerges as a prominent discipline within social sciences, with its emphasis on balancing economic growth, social equity, and environmental protection. The paper explores its relevance in addressing pressing global challenges. Moreover, it examines the emergence of new theories and practices within social sciences, presenting a glimpse of the evolving landscape of research and scholarship. Considering the future direction of social science research and practices, the paper offers insights into potential areas of exploration and the evolving nature of research methodologies. It addresses key research questions, such as what, why, how, when, where, and for whom, providing a framework for comprehensive inquiry. This paper provides a broad overview of social sciences, elucidating key principles, theories, and notable contributions to societal development. By examining the past and present, it also outlines the potential future trajectory of social science research and practices, shedding light on the significance and relevance of this dynamic field.

Genomics might not be the solution, but epistemic validity remains a challenge in the social sciences.

We sympathize with many of the points Burt makes in challenging the value of genetics to advance our understanding of social science. Here, we discuss how recent reflections on epistemic validity in the behavioral sciences can further contribute to a reappraisal of the role of sociogenomics to explain and predict human traits, aptitudes, and achievement.

Drivers and effects of digitalization on energy demand in low-carbon scenarios

ABSTRACT The world is currently facing two socio-technical transitions: shifting to a low-carbon society, and a digital revolution. Despite some claims to the contrary, evidence suggests that spread and adoption of information and communication technology (ICT) does not automatically lead to reduction in energy demand, if this stimulates new energy-using practices or wider economic growth. Despite this policy challenge, the two transitions are often considered separately. This study examines potential drivers of reductions or increases in energy demand due to digitalization identified in recent leading global and UK net-zero transitions scenarios. We analyse the scenarios in terms of effects of digitalization on energy demand by identifying specific direct effects of ICT; indirect and rebound effects in transport and home energy use; and wider effects via economic growth. This analysis implies that the future pathways adopted for digitalization will have a significant impact on future energy demand and hence on the feasibility and acceptability of achieving net-zero goals. We find there are different assumptions and development pathways between scenarios. We also identify a need for better inclusion of behavioural effects and other social science understanding in scenarios on the one hand, and recognition that policy can affect digitalization pathways on the other. Overall, our work suggests opportunities for further research and potential for improving policy interactions between these two transitions, and stimulating greater public debate on the different framings for an ICT-driven low-carbon transition. Key policy insights Modelling and scenario development of low-carbon pathways need to pay more attention to drivers of energy demand, including direct and indirect effects of digitalization. Social science understanding of the behavioural change effects of digitalization needs to be considered in assessing energy demand changes. Different pathways of digitalization result from individual and collective choices, including technology development, business models and data protection. Policy makers should seek to promote pathways that deliver social wellbeing and local environmental benefits, not just economic gains.

Peningkatan Pemahaman Konsep Globalisasi dengan Model Belajar Behavioristik di Kelas VI SDN Bendogerit 2 Kota Blitar

Social Sciences (IPS) can help students gain a fundamental understanding of history, economics, geography, and other social sciences. Through social studies subjects, students are directed to be able to become democratic and responsible Indonesian citizens and peace-loving citizens of the world. Social studies subjects are arranged systematically, comprehensively, and integrated in the learning process. Social studies learning at the UPT Education Unit of SDN Bendogerit 2 Blitar City on Globalization, is still not well implemented and gets a score that is still less than the KKM. In this case the teacher must instill about the position of students in the era of globalization in order to filter the entry of foreign influences into Indonesia. Learning outcomes obtained from pre-action learning can be seen from 29 students who achieved completeness only as many as 10 students or 34%. In accordance with this, the teacher conducts classroom action research, with qualitative descriptive research, using a learning model that can increase students' understanding of concepts, namely the Behavioristic learning model. Behavioristic learning model is a learning model that emphasizes the conditioning of the learning environment so that student behavior can be formed or changed as expected.

Hunger for change: Student food insecurity in Australia

Student food insecurity has been a major social problem across the world. Building on interview-based research, this paper examines students’ experiences of food insecurity in Melbourne during the Covid-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns. It places particular emphasis on young people’s agency and students’ ‘relational’ understanding of food insecurity. Students experienced food insecurity in relation to other domains of life, such as work and health. In addition, students understood food insecurity in relation to how they are positioned with respect to axes of social inequality and in relation to a wider food system. In developing these points, we offer reflection on ground-level social action and relationality relevant to geographical and wider social science understanding of progressive food activism.

The Social Shaping of the Metaverse as an Alternative to the Imaginaries of Data-Driven Smart Cities: A Study in Science, Technology, and Society

Science and technology transform the frontiers of knowledge and have deep and powerful impacts on society, demonstrating how social reality varies with each era of the world. As a set of fictional representations of technologically driven future worlds, the Metaverse is increasingly shaping the socio-technical imaginaries of data-driven smart cities, i.e., the outcome of radical transformations of dominant structures, processes, practices, and cultures. At the core of the systematic exploration of science and technology is the relationships between scientific knowledge, technological systems, and values and ethics from a wide range of perspectives. Positioned within science of science, this study investigates the complex interplay between the Metaverse as a form of science and technology and the wider social context in which it is embedded. Therefore, it adopts an analytical and philosophical framework of STS, and in doing so, it employs an integrated approach to discourse analysis, supported by a comparative analysis of the Metaverse and Ambient Intelligence. This study shows that the Metaverse as a scientific and technological activity is socially constructed, politically driven, economically conditioned, and historically situated. That is, it is inherently human and hence value-laden, as well as can only be understood as contextualized within the socio-political-economic-historical framework that gives rise to it, sustains it, and makes it durable by material effects and networks. This view in turn corroborates that the Metaverse raises serious concerns as to determinism, social exclusion, marginalization, privacy erosion, surveillance, control, democratic backsliding, hive mentality, cyber-utopianism, and dystopianism. This study argues that, due to the problematic nature of the Metaverse in terms of its inherent ethical and social implications, there need to be more explicit processes and practices for enhancing public participation and allowing a more democratic public role in its shaping and control, especially early in the decision-making process of its development—when the opportunity for effective inputs and informed choices is greatest. The novelty of this study lies in that it is the first of its kind with respect to probing the link between the Metaverse and data-driven smart cities from an STS perspective. The main contribution of this study lies in deepening and extending social scientific critiques and understandings of the imaginaries of data-driven smart cities based on the analysis and evaluation of the Metaverse and the warning signals and troubling visions it conveys and animates in order to help construct desirable alternative futures for the greater good of all citizens. The ultimate goal is to structure the Metaverse in ways that are morally acceptable and collectively the most democratically beneficial for society.

The plurality of police oversight: a method for building upon lessons learned for understanding an evolving strategy

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to describe an innovative research methods framework designed to address some of the persistent challenges to a social scientific understanding of civilian-led police oversight commissions.Design/methodology/approachThe project design begins by acknowledging that oversight commissions take multiple and varied forms, which are contingent on local histories, institutional dynamics and discursive strategies for indexing racial inequality. The authors find such variation not to be an impediment to insightful research design. Rather, the methodological frame makes use of multi-sited ethnographic methods, organized at the county level across three research clusters (in this example, Milwaukee Co, WI; San Diego Co., CA; and Washtenaw Co, MI), to draw attention to the effects of such multiplicity to complicate, localize and render visible the specific practices of policing and its critique through civilian oversight.FindingsAmongst an increasing national concern with the racialized nature of police violence, one evolving strategy for police reform among municipalities is to establish civilian oversight boards that can monitor, make recommendations for, and potentially direct police policy. However, there is very little research on such commissions, leaving many unanswered questions for proponents of evidence-based criminal justice policy. One reason for this lack is that the tremendous variability of such commissions has led some researchers to abandon hope for a comparative analysis which might offer generalizable conclusions beyond individual case studies. Lessons learned from previous reform efforts suggest that without a solid evidentiary basis, such reform efforts can easily succumb to institutional inertia or even failure. This danger is especially present when policy and practice recommendations are not based on research designs particularly attuned to making audible the experiences and concerns of the most marginalized targets of police attention.Originality/valueThe value of this method rests in its ability to provide comparative insights into the ways in which oversight commissions operate within a broader pluralized security landscape that both makes possible and constrains democratic participation along racial lines. The method contextualizes and renders audible ways of understanding, evaluating, and practicing democratic community as it is articulated through the issue of police and its oversight.

Pædagogik og/eller uddannelsesforskning og uddannelsesvidenskab? Danske konstellationer og spændinger

The first part and main part of this article describes the conflictual entry of two different interdisciplinary concepts of ‘educational research’ in Denmark during two periods including the specific tensions between these two concepts and the local established forms of pedagogical reserach: the entry during the 1970s of a new critical and sociological concept of educational research inspired by German neomarxism and ‘kritische Erziehungswissenschaft’, and the entry of the Anglo-American concept of ‘educational research’ around 2000 in the wake of the OECD’s National Review on Educational R & D in Denmark 2004. Unlike traditional pedagogical thinking and research these concepts are primarily geared towards a social scientific (sociological, economic, and political) understanding of education. The second part of the article is focused on the local reorganization of the field of educational research that occurred with the opening of the new Danish University of Education (Danmarks Pædagogiske Universitet) in 2000. It shows how and why the concept of educational sciences unlike Norway and Sweden did not occur in Denmark until 2010 and with a very limited diffusion in comparison to the concept of educational research. In the third and final part, the article discusses the problems in translating ‘education’ with ‘uddannelse’ in the Nordic languages and follows the semantic transformations of the Danish concept of ‘uddannelse’ during the last 50 years. It shows how it has become the cover term for all kinds of educational but also political, economic and managerial matters making it rather difficult to say what educational research and educational sciences are sciences of and all about.

The two-component model of behavior factors: Evidences of orthogonality of explicit and implicit factors

There is a growing understanding in social sciences that even purposeful human behavior cannot be fully explained by rational motives. The behavioral economy developed a program for studying economic behavior considering more factors than the blind pursuit of ones benefit. In social psychology, the theory of two groups of factors that influence human behavior has been developed: explicit factors are determined mainly by conceptual thinking, while implicit factors - by non-rational motives, often not obvious for the subject of action. It is argued that the study of both groups of factors is a prerequisite for the correct understanding and accurate prediction of behavior since they are of different nature, irreducible to each other, and have very different effects on behavior. The article focuses on the issue of the different nature of explicit and implicit factors. Can we say that the models of dual decision-making from social psychology are applicable to social action? We tested the nature of the interaction of the explicit and implicit components of the attitude towards the United Russia party with the basic judgments that, it would seem, should form this attitude. The results were paradoxical. It turned out that ideologically biased statements addressed to the political party form an attitude towards it on the implicit level. At the same time, the attitude to these statements depends on the attitude to the party, but at the rational level. Thus, this is a convincing evidence of the fundamentally different nature of explicit and implicit factors of social behavior.

What a Shoddy Job: A Critical Review of the 2021 Report of the UK Government on Racial and Ethnic Disparities

This paper critically reviews the 2021 report of the UK government on racial and ethnic disparities (which was tagged the “Sewell’s report”). The Sewell’s commission investigated the current dynamics of racial and ethnic disparities in the UK in four key areas: education and training; employment, fairness at work and enterprise; crime and policing; and health. It reported not only interesting findings and conclusions, but also recommended series of policy measures under four broad themes: building trust; promoting fairness; creating agency; and achieving inclusivity. A critical review of the report revealed a series of fundamental, preliminary, and substantive issues that undermine the credibility of its findings, conclusion, and recommendations. These issues, which are constitutional problematic, problem definition, biased methodology, skewed findings, and inaccurate conclusions, questioned the substance of the commission’s report, and fostered effective grounds for critics and oppositions to question the acceptability and legitimacy of the panel or commission’s findings, conclusions, and recommendations. These issues largely emanated from the composition of the commissioners, which lacked technical knowledge and social scientific understanding of racism as a conceptual frame to investigate racial and ethnic disparities, and thus produced a shoddy report that did not reflect the realities and lives of Black and other minority ethnic groups in the UK.