Professor Peter Taylor-Gooby to reflect on 'The State of Social Science'

Professor Peter Taylor-Gooby has been invited to make a special presentation at the AcSS' AGM on Thursday 5 July.

For his presentation, titled 'The State of Social Science: only itself to blame?' Professor Taylor-Gooby will argue that 'social science feels itself under attack: recruitment in many areas is falling due to the £9,000 fees, prominent public figures have criticised social scientists for failing to predict the financial crisis and many academics feel that governed does not pay sufficient attention to what they have to say. This may be misleading.'

Professor Taylor-Gooby will also produce new evidence of the use of social science research in public debate, by the media and by government departments, and suggest that the low status of social science is due to the nature of its subject areas.

He said: 'Social science deals with complex and disruptive issues that involve conflict and unease, such as immigration, inequality, multiculturalism, discrimination against women and eating behaviour, where it is difficult to produce simple, satisfactory and convenient solutions. Social sciences risk being stigmatised as "scapegoat subjects" because they analyse all the problems which societies would rather not confront.'

Contact: pressoffice@kent.ac.uk

Story published at 1:11pm 4 July 2012