Why the Social Sciences Matter More Than Ever

This thoroughly revised and expanded edition offers a powerful exploration of the major challenges shaping our world today, from economic instability and climate change to inequality, migration, and global conflict.

Featuring contributions from leading scholars, the book shows how the social sciences help us make sense of complex events and emerging global trends. It brings fresh insights into urgent topics like climate justice, populism, productivity, sustainable development, and social wellbeing—highlighting how these issues are deeply interconnected.

Supported by the Academy for Social Sciences, the book demonstrates how disciplines such as economics, education, political science, psychology, and sociology are essential for understanding developments that may seem purely technological or natural. It champions interdisciplinary collaboration to ensure that progress in science, technology, and policy truly benefits society.

Whether you're a curious reader, policymaker, or academic, this volume offers a compelling case for why the social sciences matter now, more than ever. It’s a timely and thought-provoking guide to the threats and opportunities we face—and how a deeper understanding of human behaviour and society can help shape a better future.

Jonathan Michie OBE FAcSS is a leading voice in innovation and lifelong learning. A professor at the University of Oxford, UK, he serves as President of Kellogg College and Pro-Vice-Chancellor. Recognized with an OBE for his contributions to education, Jonathan is also a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences. His work spans global economics, co-operative business models, and the future of capitalism, with books like The Oxford Handbook of Mutual, Co-operative, and Co-owned Business and The Political Economy of Covid-19.

Sir Cary L. Cooper CBE FAcSS is one of the world’s most influential experts on workplace wellbeing. As Professor of Organizational Psychology at the University of Manchester, UK, he has shaped how we understand stress, mental health, and productivity at work. Knighted for his services to social science, Cary has authored over 250 books and is a go-to media commentator on work-life issues. His recent titles include Wellbeing at Work and Remote Workplace Culture.