Understanding the Societal Impact of the Social Sciences and Humanities: Remarks on Roles, Challenges, and Expectations
Science is increasingly expected to help in solving complex societal problems in collaboration with societal stakeholders. However, it is often unclear under what conditions this can happen, i.e., what kind of challenges occur when science interacts with society and what kind of quality expectations...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-07-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Research Metrics and Analytics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frma.2021.696804/full |
| _version_ | 1818893656662212608 |
|---|---|
| author | Benedikt Fecher Benedikt Fecher Freia Kuper Nataliia Sokolovska Alex Fenton Alex Fenton Stefan Hornbostel Stefan Hornbostel Gert G. Wagner Gert G. Wagner Gert G. Wagner |
| author_facet | Benedikt Fecher Benedikt Fecher Freia Kuper Nataliia Sokolovska Alex Fenton Alex Fenton Stefan Hornbostel Stefan Hornbostel Gert G. Wagner Gert G. Wagner Gert G. Wagner |
| author_sort | Benedikt Fecher |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Science is increasingly expected to help in solving complex societal problems in collaboration with societal stakeholders. However, it is often unclear under what conditions this can happen, i.e., what kind of challenges occur when science interacts with society and what kind of quality expectations prevail. This is particularly pertinent for Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH), which are part of the object they study and whose knowledge is always subject to provisionality. Here we discuss how SSH researchers can contribute to societal problems, what challenges might occur when they interact with societal stakeholders, and what quality expectations arise in these arrangements. We base our argumentation on the results of an online consultation among 125 experts in Germany (representatives from SSH, learned societies, stakeholders from different societal groups, and relevant intermediaries). |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T18:16:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f46efd0226884fb6ae2fc2ac45b1fd18 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2504-0537 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T18:16:04Z |
| publishDate | 2021-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Research Metrics and Analytics |
| spelling | doaj.art-f46efd0226884fb6ae2fc2ac45b1fd182022-12-21T20:11:07ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Research Metrics and Analytics2504-05372021-07-01610.3389/frma.2021.696804696804Understanding the Societal Impact of the Social Sciences and Humanities: Remarks on Roles, Challenges, and ExpectationsBenedikt Fecher0Benedikt Fecher1Freia Kuper2Nataliia Sokolovska3Alex Fenton4Alex Fenton5Stefan Hornbostel6Stefan Hornbostel7Gert G. Wagner8Gert G. Wagner9Gert G. Wagner10Research Program Knowledge and Society, Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society, Berlin, GermanyGerman Institute for Economic Research, Berlin, GermanyResearch Program Knowledge and Society, Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society, Berlin, GermanyResearch Program Knowledge and Society, Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society, Berlin, GermanyResearch Area Research System and Science Dynamics, German Centre for Higher Education Research and Science Studies, Berlin, GermanyDepartment of Social Sciences, Humboldt University Berlin, Berlin, GermanyResearch Area Research System and Science Dynamics, German Centre for Higher Education Research and Science Studies, Berlin, GermanyDepartment of Social Sciences, Humboldt University Berlin, Berlin, GermanyResearch Program Knowledge and Society, Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society, Berlin, GermanyGerman Institute for Economic Research, Berlin, GermanyMax Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, GermanyScience is increasingly expected to help in solving complex societal problems in collaboration with societal stakeholders. However, it is often unclear under what conditions this can happen, i.e., what kind of challenges occur when science interacts with society and what kind of quality expectations prevail. This is particularly pertinent for Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH), which are part of the object they study and whose knowledge is always subject to provisionality. Here we discuss how SSH researchers can contribute to societal problems, what challenges might occur when they interact with societal stakeholders, and what quality expectations arise in these arrangements. We base our argumentation on the results of an online consultation among 125 experts in Germany (representatives from SSH, learned societies, stakeholders from different societal groups, and relevant intermediaries).https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frma.2021.696804/fullimpactknowledge transferscience-society interfacesscientific adviceresearch utilization |
| spellingShingle | Benedikt Fecher Benedikt Fecher Freia Kuper Nataliia Sokolovska Alex Fenton Alex Fenton Stefan Hornbostel Stefan Hornbostel Gert G. Wagner Gert G. Wagner Gert G. Wagner Understanding the Societal Impact of the Social Sciences and Humanities: Remarks on Roles, Challenges, and Expectations Frontiers in Research Metrics and Analytics impact knowledge transfer science-society interfaces scientific advice research utilization |
| title | Understanding the Societal Impact of the Social Sciences and Humanities: Remarks on Roles, Challenges, and Expectations |
| title_full | Understanding the Societal Impact of the Social Sciences and Humanities: Remarks on Roles, Challenges, and Expectations |
| title_fullStr | Understanding the Societal Impact of the Social Sciences and Humanities: Remarks on Roles, Challenges, and Expectations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Understanding the Societal Impact of the Social Sciences and Humanities: Remarks on Roles, Challenges, and Expectations |
| title_short | Understanding the Societal Impact of the Social Sciences and Humanities: Remarks on Roles, Challenges, and Expectations |
| title_sort | understanding the societal impact of the social sciences and humanities remarks on roles challenges and expectations |
| topic | impact knowledge transfer science-society interfaces scientific advice research utilization |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frma.2021.696804/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT benediktfecher understandingthesocietalimpactofthesocialsciencesandhumanitiesremarksonroleschallengesandexpectations AT benediktfecher understandingthesocietalimpactofthesocialsciencesandhumanitiesremarksonroleschallengesandexpectations AT freiakuper understandingthesocietalimpactofthesocialsciencesandhumanitiesremarksonroleschallengesandexpectations AT nataliiasokolovska understandingthesocietalimpactofthesocialsciencesandhumanitiesremarksonroleschallengesandexpectations AT alexfenton understandingthesocietalimpactofthesocialsciencesandhumanitiesremarksonroleschallengesandexpectations AT alexfenton understandingthesocietalimpactofthesocialsciencesandhumanitiesremarksonroleschallengesandexpectations AT stefanhornbostel understandingthesocietalimpactofthesocialsciencesandhumanitiesremarksonroleschallengesandexpectations AT stefanhornbostel understandingthesocietalimpactofthesocialsciencesandhumanitiesremarksonroleschallengesandexpectations AT gertgwagner understandingthesocietalimpactofthesocialsciencesandhumanitiesremarksonroleschallengesandexpectations AT gertgwagner understandingthesocietalimpactofthesocialsciencesandhumanitiesremarksonroleschallengesandexpectations AT gertgwagner understandingthesocietalimpactofthesocialsciencesandhumanitiesremarksonroleschallengesandexpectations |