Exploratory Social Science: Realizing Better
Sep 2026 · Oxford University Press
Ebook
240
Pages
Tools
info
family_home
Eligible
info
About this ebook
At a time when the public badly want better public services, trustworthy politics, and a healthy biosphere, the social sciences have prioritized analysis and critique over design. Ours is a golden age of diagnosis but a dark age of prescription, which contributes to a widening gap between extraordinary technological dynamism and social stagnation. Exploratory Social Science shows how the social sciences can return to their best traditions and define pathways and options for the future: helping to change the world, rather than just interpreting it. The first use of the phrase "social science" came in a book two centuries ago which analysed social problems, including stark inequality, and proposed how they could be tackled. Mulgan argues we need similar combinations of analysis and prescription for current issues such as living with AI, declining birthrates, rampant disinformation, and rising global temperatures. Exploratory Social Science investigates how to make the most of the many resources available to social science, from history to data analytics, studies of systems and complexity to methods from design and the arts. These can be used to shape options for tasks such as reinventing democracy and care or designing new public institutions Most social scientists want to use their knowledge to serve their societies, but in recent years have been discouraged from design by trends leaning towards narrow empiricism and away from creative imagination. Many younger social scientists think it career-threatening to move from analysis to prescription. This book shows how to harness their intellects and energy for the greater good.
At a time when the public badly want better public services, trustworthy politics, and a healthy biosphere, the social sciences have prioritized analysis and critique over design. Ours is a golden age of diagnosis but a dark age of prescription, which contributes to a widening gap between extraor...
Discover more
Rate this ebook
Tell us what you think.
Reading information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.
