What is social science? | An animated overview #SocialScience

Summary

The script highlights the pivotal role of social scientists in shaping modern Britain, from the establishment of the National Health Service to the welfare state's development. It underscores their multidisciplinary research, which spans economics to social work, and its impact on understanding societal changes. The Economic and Social Research Council's peer-reviewed funding ensures research quality, with long-term studies revealing crucial insights into societal issues like the effects of smoking during pregnancy and the implications of single-parent families on children's futures.

Takeaways

• 🏥 The concept of the National Health Service and the welfare state's growth were significantly influenced by social scientists.
• 🤝 Social scientists played a crucial role in assisting the Bank of England during financial crises.
• 🧐 Their research encompasses a wide range of disciplines including economics, education, sociology, and more.
• 🔍 They study societal functions, human behavior, and reactions to societal changes.
• 📊 Social scientists use various research methods, from hypothesis testing to uncovering unexpected findings.
• 🏛️ The Economic and Social Research Council is the primary funder of social science research in the UK.
• 🔬 Research funded by the council undergoes peer review to maintain high standards and quality.
• 📚 Large-scale, long-term research projects provide insights into societal changes and their effects on individuals.
• 👶 Studies have revealed the impact of smoking during pregnancy on child development.
• 🏙️ Research has identified the long-term effects of unemployment, poverty, and living in a single-parent family on individuals.
• 🌟 The ultimate goal of social sciences is to enhance our understanding of human behavior and improve societal living conditions.

Q & A

What significant idea did the social scientists help develop as mentioned in the script?

The social scientists helped develop the idea that became the National Health Service.

How did the social scientists contribute to the welfare state according to the script?

They shaped the growth of the welfare state by providing a safety net for those needing a helping hand.

What role did social scientists play during the financial crisis mentioned in the script?

Social scientists helped the Bank of England deal with the financial crisis.

What is the scope of research covered by social scientists as described in the script?

Social scientists' research covers a full span of human behavior, including economics, education, sociology, geography, linguistics, social anthropology, psychology, social work, business, and management studies.

How do social scientists approach their research as per the script?

Social scientists conduct their research in different ways, sometimes aiming to prove or disprove something specific, and at other times discovering new and unexpected findings during basic research.

What is the Economic and Social Research Council, and what does it do according to the script?

The Economic and Social Research Council is the UK’s largest funder of social science research, ensuring that all research applications undergo peer review to maintain high-quality standards.

Why is peer review important for the research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council?

Peer review is important to ensure that the research questions, design, and findings meet the highest standards and quality, making the findings reliable and usable.

What type of research projects does the script mention as being used by social scientists?

The script mentions large-scale research projects that follow groups of people through their lives over many years.

How can the results of long-term social science research impact society and government policies?

The results can help government, ministers, businesses, and charities understand how society changes and the impact this can have on individual lives.

What are some examples of long-term research findings mentioned in the script?

Examples include the effects of smoking during pregnancy on child development, the 'scarring' effects of repeated unemployment and poverty, and the impact of living in a lone-parent family on a child's future.

What is the ultimate goal of social sciences as portrayed in the script?

The ultimate goal of social sciences is to understand human behavior and interaction, aiming to make society a better place to live.

Outlines

00:00

🌟 The Impact of Social Scientists

This paragraph introduces the significant role of social scientists in shaping modern Britain. It highlights their contribution to the establishment of the National Health Service, the welfare state, and aiding the Bank of England during financial crises. The paragraph emphasizes the broad scope of social science research, which encompasses various fields such as economics, education, sociology, and psychology. It also explains the research methods used by social scientists, including hypothesis testing and discovery through basic research. The Economic and Social Research Council's role as a major funder and the importance of peer review for maintaining research quality are also discussed.

Keywords

💡National Health Service

The National Health Service (NHS) is the publicly funded healthcare system in the United Kingdom. It is the world's largest single-payer healthcare system and provides a comprehensive range of health services to residents of the UK. In the video, the NHS is mentioned as an example of a significant change in Britain, shaped by social scientists, emphasizing the impact of their research on public policy and societal well-being.

💡Welfare State

A welfare state refers to a concept of governance in which the state plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It typically involves extensive government programs and benefits. In the script, the welfare state is highlighted as an area where social scientists have contributed to shaping policies that provide a safety net for those in need.

💡Bank of England

The Bank of England is the central bank for the United Kingdom, responsible for issuing the nation's currency and regulating monetary policy, among other functions. The script mentions the Bank of England to illustrate how social scientists have been instrumental in helping financial institutions navigate crises, showcasing the interdisciplinary nature of social science research.

💡Social Scientists

Social scientists are professionals who engage in the systematic study of society and human behavior. They conduct research across various disciplines such as economics, sociology, and psychology. The video emphasizes the role of social scientists in understanding and influencing societal changes, underlining their importance in shaping modern Britain.

💡Economic and Social Research Council

The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is the UK's largest organization for funding research on social and economic issues. It ensures that the research it supports is of high quality through a peer review process. The script highlights the ESRC as a key institution that promotes rigorous and reliable social science research.

💡Peer Review

Peer review is a process by which scholars or experts in a field evaluate the quality of research produced by their colleagues in the same field. It is a critical component of academic research, ensuring that work meets the standards of the discipline. The video mentions peer review as a method to maintain the high quality and reliability of social science research funded by the ESRC.

💡Long-term Research

Long-term research refers to studies that follow subjects over an extended period, often years or even decades. This type of research is valuable for observing trends and changes over time. The script cites long-term research as a method that has helped uncover the long-lasting effects of certain societal factors, such as smoking during pregnancy, on individual lives.

💡Smoking During Pregnancy

Smoking during pregnancy is a significant public health concern due to its potential adverse effects on both the mother and the unborn child. The script uses this as an example of how social science research can identify and understand the developmental impacts of such behaviors on children, contributing to informed health policies.

💡Unemployment and Poverty

The script discusses the 'scarring' effects of repeated unemployment and poverty, referring to the long-term negative impacts these conditions can have on individuals. Social science research helps to identify these effects, which can inform policies aimed at reducing poverty and supporting those affected by unemployment.

💡Lone-parent Family

A lone-parent family is a family with one parent who is responsible for raising the children without a partner. The video mentions the impact of living in a lone-parent family on a child's future, indicating that social science research explores the effects of family structure on child development and societal outcomes.

💡Human Behavior

Human behavior encompasses the range of actions and responses that people exhibit in various situations. Social scientists study human behavior to understand how individuals interact with each other and their environment. The video emphasizes understanding human behavior as a central goal of social science, which is crucial for making society a better place.

Highlights

The National Health Service was an idea shaped by social scientists.

Social scientists contributed to the welfare state, offering a safety net for those in need.

They assisted the Bank of England in managing the financial crisis.

Social scientists study a wide range of human behavior across various disciplines.

Their research aims to understand societal functioning and adaptation to change.

Social scientists employ diverse research methods, including hypothesis testing and basic research.

The Economic and Social Research Council is the UK's primary funder of social science research.

Research funded by the Council undergoes peer review to ensure high quality.

High-quality research ensures reliable and usable findings.

Some research projects follow groups of people over many years to observe societal changes.

Long-term studies have revealed the impact of smoking during pregnancy on child development.

Research has identified the 'scarring' effects of repeated unemployment and poverty.

Studies have examined the effects of living in a lone-parent family on a child's future.

Social sciences aim to understand human behavior and interaction to improve society.

Social science research findings are valuable to governments, ministers, businesses, and charities.

The Council's peer review process maintains the highest research standards and quality.

Social scientists contribute to shaping significant changes in Britain over the last century.

Transcripts

They came up with the idea that became the National Health Service.

They shaped the growth of the welfare state, providing a safety net for those needing

a helping hand.

And they helped the Bank of England deal with the financial crisis.

Who are these people - the ones behind some of the most important changes to Britain in

the last century?

Social scientists, that's who.

Their research covers the full span of human behaviour, from economics to education, sociology,

geography, linguistics and social anthropology, psychology to social work and even business

and management studies.

They look at how society works, how we react and adapt to changes, why some things succeed

and others don't.

Social scientists do their research in different ways. Sometimes they set out to prove or disprove

something in particular – other times they come across new and unexpected findings when

doing basic research.

The Economic and Social Research Council is the UK’s largest funder of social science research.

And to ensure the research we fund is of high quality, all research applications undergo

peer review; that is, they are quality checked by other experts and social scientists, which

means the research questions, design and findings will be of the highest standards and quality.

This ensures the findings are reliable and useable.

Some social science research uses large-scale research projects. These follow groups of

people through their lives over many years. The results can help all of us including government,

ministers, and even businesses and charities understand how society changes and the impact

this can have on individual lives.

This long-term work has helped us discover the effect smoking during pregnancy has on

the development of children,

identify the 'scarring' effects repeated unemployment and poverty can have,

and what impact living in a lone-parent family can have on a child's future.

The social sciences are all about understanding the way humans behave and interact with each other,

helping to make our society a better place to live.