What is Social Science?

Social science helps to improve people’s lives by addressing health, education, justice, the economy, and other fields. In particular, it provides tools to effectively measure social dynamics. That is, scientific methods, theories, and other insights about how societies and social relationships work. Social science integrates knowledge about society and the environment, as well as individual agency, the mind, organisations, and community relationships.

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The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia defines social science as a broad range of disciplines “that use systematic methods to understand, describe, educate, predict an influence the social world”:

“Their defining feature is a focus on the social. Social in this context refers to events, objects, rules, patterns and other things that emerge spontaneously or by design when humans interact in groups.”

The social sciences encompass foundational areas, such as sociology and psychology, as well as policy and human services fields, such as social work and business, and interdisciplinary areas that overlap with other traditions, such as the humanities and design.

Table 1: Examples of social science disciplines

Foundational

Sociology

Anthropology

Psychology

Economics

Services

Politics

Business

Social work

International studies

Interdisciplinary

Law

Education

Architecture

Geography

The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia shows that the social sciences complement the natural sciences and arts and humanities. Social science primarily address human products collectively produced or with collective impact. This includes the way humans organise around economic, political, and cultural systems, and the impact of the natural world and the arts on human populations.

Infographic showing various people dressed in lab coats conducting experiments, holding graphs at a meeting, and paiting. They stand of pillars titled: natural sciences, social sciences, and arts and humanities. Title: Social Sciences and adjacent disciplines

The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia argues that the social sciences address the societal dynamics that impact our life chances and opportunities:

“Social systems shape our lives. Our education and health, our happiness and our grief, our families and freedoms, our beliefs and expressions. Who we love and how we die, how we can contribute and what gives our lives meaning. How our children are born and how they are raised. Almost everything we do and experience is inherently social.”

Similarly, the Academy of Social Sciences (UK) describes social science as the exploration of “how people, communities and society influence the world around us”:

“It looks at how people behave, examines social, economic and political processes, and understands how and why people interact in the way they do with each other and the environment.”

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  • Infographic of a white woman holds a pen and folder as she watches a Black Asian man looking through a survey tool. Title: Why social science matters
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How does social science work?

The foundation of social science is the development, testing, and application of scientific theories, concepts, and methodologies to understand history, culture, and society, and the human impact on our environment. In other words, social science provides a set of rigorous, peer-reviewed, and evidenced ways of studying social problems.

Many social scientists work in universities and research centres, while others work as applied social scientists in non-academic organisations (such as in policy, consultancy, community services, and so on). Some academics and applied researchers will move between the two settings.

Applied social scientists translate academic studies to answer client questions, while considering what needs to change in order to test the approach with a specific community. For example, applied researchers might need to scale solutions; that is, implement a successful intervention across the state. This might mean tweaking a health study that was initially tested on university students, to re-test the solution in a public hospital, such as taking into consideration its staff, patients, and operational requirements.

Infographic showing a woman standing in front of a large document titled "Projects." She hands one block of text from the document to a man, who reaches out from a video call screen. Quote from Mark Western
Source: University of Queensland, ‘Social Science for a Better World,’ online resource.

Why does social science matter?

In order for humans to make progress in medicine, technology, entrepreneurship and in other spheres, we need to understand how people are influenced by different fields of science and the economy, as well as how they benefit from new and existing innovations.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) shows how the social sciences contribute to health policies, the environment, justice, and positive governance:

“Social sciences contribute to informed reflection in public life… Social sciences make an important contribution to the public knowledge essential for democratic processes, supporting… accountability, evidence-based evaluation of policies, and the improvement of the quality of decision-making.”

Infographic of two Black young men kneeling while planting a tree. Quote reads: Social sciences contribute to informed reflection in public life - UNESCO
Quote source: UNESCO (2013). Image: Social Science Insights
Infographic of diverse people recycling, a disabled woman helping an elderly woman use a walking frame, and a disabled girl pointing to a whiteboard with letters. Text: Social sciences make an important contribution to the public knowledge...

Below are some examples of how we use social science to make positive change:

  • Ethical governance
  • Ending discrimination
  • Bolstering social welfare
  • Mitigating climate change
  • Improving health programs
  • Designing sustainable cities
  • Using data to solve problems
  • Support for small businesses
  • Evaluating government policies
  • Safeguards for new technologies
  • Conflict negotiation between states
Infographic of a white woman teacher leaning over a Brown woman typing on a laptop. List of postiive change created by social science

The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia identifies eight examples of how social science improves our lives:

  1. Protect and uphold democracy
  2. Prevent or correct misuse of technology
  3. Develop effective strategies to preserve the environment
  4. Improve the fairness and accountability of public institutions
  5. Identify and address inequality
  6. Continuously improve education
  7. Understand and deal with public health problems
  8. Improve our chances at prosperity and happiness
Infographic of a Brown woman teacher in hijab sitting at a desk showing a piece of paper to a white girl student, who is taking notes. Surrounding them are the eight ways social science improves our lives
Information source: The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia. Image: Social Science Insights

Social science methods measure impact

Social scientists contribute to enhanced business, policy and communities by using a range of scientific research methodologies, such as surveys, interviews, case studies, audits, and statistical analyses.

In a government, community or business context, social scientists also use ethnography, a suite of observational tools to study individuals and groups interacting in their everyday lives, with the purpose of improving policies and procedures.

Social science is also used in social marketing, the application of commercial strategies in and social science to target complex social problems, and influence behaviours, for the greater social good. For example, to track and improve outcomes, and otherwise improve public information campaigns.

  • A Black woman therapist writes notes as she speaks to her Black male patient, who is lying down on a couch. Text: Social science uses scientific methods to improve health, education, justice, business, and other fields
  • Drawing of two young women in hijab walking through a park holding books, bags, and coffees. Text: Social science integrates knowledge about society and environment
  • Drawing of an Asian woman wearing glasses dressed in a suit. She sits at a table, facing opposite a man. Text: Social scientists enhance policies and services
  • Drawing of two young Asian women sitting at a table with trees outside. They smile as they look at their tablets and notebooks, with a calculator to the side. Text: Social scientists use ethnography to support organisations

Social science has diverse applications

Social science uses evidence to:

  • Plan projects
  • Create policies
  • Evaluate programs
  • Uphold ethical conduct
  • Protect human rights
  • Improve customer services
  • Advocate for vulnerable groups
  • Eliminate bias and discrimination
  • Monitor corporate accountability
  • Stop environmental damage and promote sustainability
Drawings of white hands over a building plan with rules and pens nearby, and a Black man with his hand to his chin as he inspects a graph. Text: Social scientists use evidence to create policies, plans, programs
Drawings of a diverse trio looking at documents and a laptop, and an elderly man holding a stick as he and his grandson sit at the roots of a giant tree. Text: Social scientists use evidence to improve customer relations, stop environemntal damange, eliminate bias, and monitor accountability

Social science shapes policy

Governments see that social science methods are highly useful in drafting social policy and to improve workplace practices. A survey by Jane Tinkler from the London School of Economics finds that 19% of USA policy makers use social science arguments daily in their work; a further 53% use social science a few times daily or at least monthly; and 21% said they use it at least once a year.

infographic of a young Black man wearing a lanyard, sitting in a conference room. Text: Governments see social science as highly useful

Social science improves policy outcomes at the individual, local, state, national, and international levels.

Social science supports individual decisions

At the individual level, social science helps people make better decisions, while addressing structural barriers to services and programs. This includes:

  • Supporting professionals in the workplace
  • Empowering patients to make informed choices
  • Tailoring programs to meet the needs of disadvantaged and at-risk populations.

In the first example below, social science is used to encourage students to sign-up to an education award. In the second example, social science made it easier for farmers and employers affected by drought to enrol in a relief program.

Increasing Program Applications
Emergency Disaster Support

Social science improves local services

Social science helps local government enhance delivery of council services. This includes:

  • Delivering projects to improve family, leisure, and wellbeing. E.g. Guidelines for practitioners to support young people experiencing hardship
  • Improving services. E.g. Use statistical modelling to estimate population growth, better manage waste collection and parking, maintain local roads as population grows, and safety management
  • Planning local infrastructure. E.g. Apply subjective wellbeing measures to monitor building permits, easy access to local shops and public transport, and sustainability of open spaces
  • Optimising use of cultural and recreational facilities. E.g. Community consultation, surveys, and focus groups to understand community needs.

In the first example below, social science can improve neighbourhood health initiatives through culturally relevant approaches. In the second example, social science helped community organisations to fulfil safety planning regulations.

Healthy Communities: Local Government Supporting Public Health
Safety Planning

Social science makes state programs more effective

For state government, social science can assist in delivering public health, education, transport, and justice programs. This includes:

  • Collecting data to anticipate the evolving needs of state institutions and infrastructure as technology evolves, such as schools, hospitals, state roads, and railways
  • Audit the readiness of utility providers to face climate change, such as electricity and water supplies
  • Develop better ways to protect agriculture, forests, and other environmental resources
  • Monitor compliance and resourcing of emergency services
  • Reforming the criminal justice system, including policing and prisons
  • Designing better tools to respond to consumer affairs.

In the first example below, social science is used to improve communications, to encourage busy medical practitioners to make referrals to a new health service. In the second example, social science is used to evaluate environmental, health, and safety in emergency services.

Encouraging Referrals
Environment, Health and Safety Training

Social science enhances national governance

At the national level, social science can address policy issues, laws, and governance reforms. This includes:

  • Demonstrating gaps and opportunities in social policies, such as postal services, telecommunications, cyber security
  • Evaluating economic growth, including employment conditions, taxation, and efficiency of economic regulation
  • Making recommendations to improve social welfare
  • Providing policy advice on international trade and commerce
  • Analysing population planning, including immigration statistics and the census
  • Developing measures of progress, such as tracking policy failure on First Peoples outcomes (e.g. Closing the Gap).

In the first example below, social science is used to tackle racial inequality in national public health responses. In the second example, social science connects how national economic policies impact individual behaviour.

Race, Welfare, and COVID-19
How to Stop Panic Buying

Social science transforms international cooperation

At the international level, social science shapes global security, human rights, regional cooperation, and the enforcement of treaties. This includes:

  • Monitoring implementation of international protocols and conventions, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the 1948 Genocide Convention (Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide)
  • Measuring and mitigating global influences of corporations and administrations
  • Making recommendations to enforce equitable trade and sanctions
  • Implementing clear frameworks to ensure environmental protections and sustainable development
  • Providing accountability guidelines to stop war and political violence
  • Increasing transparency on international obligations and responsibilities, such as foreign aid, and the protection of refugees and asylum seekers
  • Two white women and a Black man wearing hard hats in an empty room look pensively at a laptop. Text: social science shapes policy, programs, and empowers cusotmers
  • Two older white people against a white ocean background, wearing matching white shirts, huddling close together. Text: At the national level, social science theories shape policy solutions
  • Diverse group of young people dressed in white, leaning against a white wall. Text: At the community level, social science methods hep to tailor programs
  • A white man dressed in a white vest, who has an artificial leg, sits on a black chair in a white room. Text: At the individual level, social science tools and practices can empower customers

Social science improves business

Social science aids executive governance to improve workplace culture, and how to make the most of everyone’s skills. Social science also helps organisations to think critically about gaps in services. This includes:

  • Assisting executives and senior leaders to improve communication
  • Consulting with managers to improve accessibility, such as workplace accommodations, flexible work, and mental health
  • Helping entrepreneurs to examine social influences on their careers and client relations
  • Delivering training on equity, diversity, and inclusion, to ensure everyone knows their rights and responsibilities
  • Implementing practical changes to advance empathetic leadership, and improve morale through more meaningful work
  • Examining customer services and making recommendations to enhance policies and processes
  • Review and enhance workplace procedures, including recruitment and promotions, and corporate programs.

In the first example below, social science is used to improve sign-up to an employment program. In the second example, social science improves business websites and forms, to make information and services easy to navigate.

Promoting Employment Services
Designing Effective Forms and Webpages
  • Drawing an elderly white couple sitting on a couch, as they look at their phone and laptop. Text: Social science boosts businesses
  • Drawing of an Asian woman looking at her phone with her laptop on her lap. Text: Social science in business
  • Drawing of an older white woman and a younger white man with a beard smiling while holding papers. Text: using social science theory, managers can better navigate conversations about mental health at work
  • Drawing of two white people in a meeting, with graphs displayed in front of them on a table. Text: Entreprenerus can examine social influences on their customers using social science
  • Drawing of a young white woman looking up , with the light haloing her. Text: Social science improves gender equity and diversity
  • Drawing of a white woman crying into a tissue as she sits on a couch, with a woman therapist leaning towards her. Text: Social science helps us think critically about what we take for granted, and how to change
  • Drawings of a South Asian medical worker talking with an Eastern Asain woman in a lobby, and a multi-racial team talking around a table. Text: Rethink workplace culture
  • Drawing of two Black people and a white man talking during a meeting with their laptops open. Text: social science is used to review and reform workplace policies and procedures

Social science informs social media

Social science supports organisations to design and implement social media policies. Social science also ensures businesses use communication campaigns more effectively to reach their customers. This includes:

  • Writing policies so that leaders and staff are aware of their legal responsibilities, including for posting online, as well as for auditing, and record-keeping
  • Helping organisations to find their corporate “voice” on social platforms to connect with their unique audience
  • Crafting and testing social media campaigns to positively change consumer behaviour.

In the example below, social science provides tips for organisations on how to improve their social media.

Social Media Tips for Not-For-Profits and Small Businesses

Social science boosts public communication

Social science provides theories to influence public awareness, as well as scientific theories to test and track ongoing behaviour change. This includes:

  • Designing campaigns for target audiences, including hard-to-reach and vulnerable groups
  • Planning and evaluating marketing campaigns
  • Capturing long-term reforms beyond surveys and focus groups.

In the first example below, social science demonstrates how to create public campaigns that measure behaviour change. The second example shows how to effectively communicate with community audiences. The final example shows how social science research improves social marketing campaigns for vulnerable consumers.

Measuring Public Information Campaigns
How to Encourage Community Change
What is Social Marketing?
Drawings of women working in an office, and an interracial couple sitting in a kitchen with mugs, looking at their phone together. Title: Enhancing social media policies
Drawings of a Black man at an outdoor cafe, with earpods, watching his phone and holding a takeaway cup, and an older white woman in a chequered jacket looking at her phone and smiling. Text: Examples of social media uses to find your corporate voice, tesing, responsibilties, and tools

Citation

Zuleyka Zevallos (2026) ‘What is Social Science?,’ Social Science Insights, https://socialscienceinsights.com/what-is-social-science/. Online resource first published 27 March, 2014. Last updated 30 August 2026.

Notes

This is an evolving resource. It was last updated on 30 August 2026.

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