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Tag: Politics

Social Science Quotes
People of colour workers raise their fists in the air during a protest

Does Technology Shape Social Revolution?

January 14, 2014June 11, 2026 Social Science Insights

“The technologies aren’t as important as what is driving people to put themselves in harm’s way, whether it be food prices, economic uncertainty or a long-term build-up of resentment toward regimes” Continue reading Does Technology Shape Social Revolution?

Social Science Issues

Think

January 2, 2012June 19, 2025 Social Science Insights

Nice animated video about standing up against conformity. Continue reading Think

Social Science Issues

Pepper Spray Cop Meme

December 2, 2011June 17, 2025 Social Science Insights

This is a nice, brief analysis of the ‘Pepper Spray Cop Meme’. The video gives a quick run down of the development of this meme and it poses some interesting questions. Has the use of satire regarding this controversial act … Continue reading Pepper Spray Cop Meme

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Social Science Insights © 2011 by Social Science Insights is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

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Professors Cary L. Cooper and Jonathan Michie argue that "to understand today’s world requires the social sciences.  As does effective intervention to shape our future." Writing for the Academy of Social Sciences UK, they show why we need evidence-based policy that draws on social science. Public campaigns often focus on negative emotions and social norms to encourage people to comply with rules and laws, but the outcome is not always measured. This can sometimes lead to inconclusive outcomes. For example, the 2021 Australian Government campaign, “Do the right thing” encourages the public to take care of our environment. While this campaign is iconic to multiple generations, there is little evidence to show this campaign alone has decreased littering. In fact, other studies find that concurrent strategies lead to reduced waste, such as community education on recycling alongside and providing recycling bin and kerbside collection service.
Many public information campaigns rely on social norms, but the behavioural impact of these advertisements are not always tested. This sometimes means that we don’t know if the messages are having a positive result. It might also lead to unintended outcomes. Will Moy, Chief executive for Campbell Collaboration, wrote one of the responses to an editorial by the Guardian, about the challenges of the replication crisis in social science. He argues we need better tools, technology, and data in order to make greater scientific progress and to improve government:
Writing for the World Economic Forum, Ana Spalding, Director of the Adrienne Arsht Community-Based Resilience Solutions Initiative, and Kathlyn Tan, Principal at Rumah Group, both economists, argue that "ocean science must expand its scope," by incorporating social science:
A series of studies released in April suggest around half of the published social science studies (49%) can’t be replicated. This is known as "the replication crisis." The latest research is part of a longitudinal project called Systematising Confidence in Open Research and Evidence (Score). It finds that recent papers and those which share open source data are more likely to be reproduced. 
Social norms are the shared, informal, and unwritten rules that shape our understanding of acceptable behaviour, and guide our everyday life. Norms include everything from etiquette (e.g. shaking hands), to how we express our emotions, to how we justify our actions. Social norms are the unwritten rules and assumptions that guide our behaviour. Norms tell us what is acceptable and unacceptable I led the research team in a State Inquiry. We examined compliance with environmental health and safety laws. We also evaluated decisions, guidelines, and actions over the past 30 years.
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