Social Science Policy - Detailseite

The field of Science, Technology, and Innovation policies is an established area of research - and one that is well covered. However, when it comes to investigating science policies, there are some big absentees: the social sciences. But are they really forgotten in everyday political practice? When diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) language is being censored in U.S. research policy, it is palpable that specific disciplines or approaches are being targeted, often as part of the wider ensemble of what is defined as ‘social sciences’. Similarly, when academic freedom or university autonomy are publicly called into question in France, it is often a pretext for talking about certain disciplinary fields by metonymy.

By approaching social science as a policy area, by studying specific aspects (or not) of social science policy, and by trying to see the place given to social scientists in the making of social science policy, students of this seminar will see what is at stake behind the demand made of this disciplinary field to provide turnkey solutions that can be implemented easily and quickly in ‘evidence-based policies’. Based on theoretical readings and practical case studies (the recent developments around the notion of islamoleftism in France, the gender studies policies in Hungary, or the institutionalisation of a Social Science Section within the British Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology), this seminar aims to restore social science policy to the status of a research object.

The seminar is aimed at students of all subjects who want to reflect on questions of science policy and requires an interest in European and non-European contexts as well as a willingness to read and discuss scientific texts in English.

Die Veranstaltung ist für Studierende aller Fächer offen. Die Veranstaltung kann nur für Studierende des Instituts für Bibliotheks- und Informationswissenschaft vom Prüfungsbüro verbucht werden. Alle anderen Studierenden müssten vorab klären, ob das zuständige Prüfungsbüro die Veranstaltung anerkennt/anrechnen wird.